Revenge is a Ghost
by GHOST oo007
Summary: The sequel to "Haunting a Ghost", this is the continuing story of the remaining Task Force members as well as Ghost's battle for his sanity. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

A cold breeze whipped across the bare hills deep within the Sayan Mountains in Russia. Among the trees and snow a flickering light could be spotted in the darkness. It was a medium size cabin, sheltered and hidden among the wilderness of the mountains. Inside the sleeping forms of four men were huddled close to the fire burning in the fireplace. One of the figures stirred and slowly sat up, yawning lightly and rubbing at his eyes. He paused when he noticed the dark silhouette of another man in the far corner of the cabin leaning against the wall and staring out a window into the cold darkness outside. Quietly, he rose to his feet and made his way to the other man's side.

"You should be getting some rest mate."

The man at the window slightly turned his head towards his comrade. The firelight gently flickered across his strong handsome features on the left side of his face, the right side of his face however was illuminated by the moonlight from outside which defined a distinct long scar that ran from the corner of his right eye to his neck.

"Can't sleep." He answered nonchalantly.

"Come on Ghost, we've been here for two weeks and you've barely gotten any sleep. Your wounds will never heal properly if you don't let your body rest."

"I'm fine Tavish." Ghost answered with a hint of impatience in his voice.

Soap had caught the tone in his Lieutenant's voice, but he ignored it. Ghost had been acting differently since his survival from Shepherd's betrayal. Soap gazed over where their Russian prisoner had been tied up. The wooden floor was dark from the heavy blood stains. He had been horrified when he had spotted Ghost standing over the nearly decapitated body. He had never seen Ghost so violent and even now, after the chaos had settled, the younger man seemed even more distant and he had a hungry look to his eyes that made Soap shudder. Soap returned his eyes to his right hand man. He knew Roach's death had been hard on Ghost. The lieutenant had treated Roach like a little brother, he had spent extra time mentoring and teaching Roach, convinced that the kid was going to be something great with his skills, but Ghost had been more than a teacher and a guide, he had been a source of comfort for Roach, and Ghost had found that same source of comfort in him. Soap sighed, losing Roach so violently and due to a betrayal nonetheless, had torn Ghost apart, and he knew that somehow he was going to have to save his lieutenant from the dark recesses of his own mind.

Soap reached out and set a comforting hand on Ghost's shoulder before turning and heading back to his place by the fire. Ghost paid the gesture no heed, his attention was on whatever dark thoughts were streaming through his mind. Soap settled into his sleeping bag which was nestled between Price and Nikolai. Archer was fast asleep next to Ghost's empty sleeping back just a short distance away. Soap turned and gazed at the dark, still form of his lieutenant a distance away and sighed in worry. There had to be something he could do to get Ghost back to his old self. He thought on it as he allowed his eyelids to droop and within seconds he was asleep.

Ghost momentarily pulled his attention away from the window and gazed at his teammates. He rested his eyes on each of them searching for the slow steady rise of their bodies as they slept. Once he was certain they were all asleep, he reached for a pistol he had laid on the kitchen table and slipped it into his leg holster. Without making a sound, Ghost walked to the door and slid outside into the cold night.


	2. Chapter 2

"We need to figure out what we're going to do." Price mumbled as he sipped at his coffee. Soap didn't answer; he was staring blankly ahead as he turned his coffee mug in his hands. Price raised an eyebrow at Soap's distant expression and took another sip from his own mug.

"Still no sign of him I'm assuming?"

Soap blinked and swallowed.

"It's just not like Ghost to wander off on his own…especially not for six hours…" Soap answered.

"He can take care of himself." Price said.

"I know he can," Soap replied, "I'm just…worried about him. He's been acting so different ever since we got him and Archer out of that safehouse."

"Well there's no telling what he went through in there, maybe he's just going through a tough time after watching his teammates die, that can do a lot to your head."

"He's already had enough done to his head…" Soap said softly.

Price was about question Soap's statement when the front door suddenly opened. Soap turned his dark blue eyes to the man walking in the cabin. He knew instantly by the man's build and the way he moved that it was Archer. The sniper lifted his head and pulled his hood down as he walked inside and settled close to the fireplace.

"I couldn't find him sir," he told Soap as he shivered, "I don't know how he's managed to be out there so long, it's bloody freezing."

"That's it." Soap said as he quickly rose and reached for his jacket.

"Where are you going Soap?" Price asked from the table.

"I'm going to find Ghost, something could have happened to him." Soap answered as he slipped the thick jacket on.

"If Archer couldn't find him then you probably won't either, besides you need to stay inside, you took a knife to the chest remember?"

"Ghost took a bullet to the chest and a knife to the shoulder, if we should worry about anyone, it's him." Soap replied as he checked his pistol.

"I'll go with you if you like." Nikolai said as he entered the main room from one of the bedrooms.

"No it's fine, I'd rather go alone."

"Are you sure my friend? You may need help." Nikolai said gently.

"I'm sure." Soap replied in a blunt tone as he walked out the door and stepped into the cold outside. A cold breeze swept over his face and Soap shivered as the warmth was almost instantly sapped from his body. He could only imagine what maddened thoughts drove Ghost out here for a stroll in such weather. Soap shivered involuntarily as he stepped over a fallen log. His feet made a loud crunching noise as they came in contact with the snow and it made him feel on edge. The woods were silent save for the noise he made with each step and he constantly found himself pausing and holding his breath to see if he could detect any other noises. Ghost's headset had melted from the heat of the flames and he had no other radio on him. Soap wanted to call out for him, but to do that would put himself at risk if there were any enemies in the area. Soap sighed and watched the steam from his breath evaporate into the air. He gazed around looking for broken branches, footprints, damaged pants, anything that would note Ghost's trail but he knew it was hopeless, there were several reasons the Lieutenant had "Ghost" as his callsign. If he didn't want to be followed, you weren't going to find him. Soap took another deep breath and after gazing around, kept trekking forward. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going or how he planned to find his comrade, but the walk in the woods soothed his troubled mind. It had been hard losing almost his entire team; now he could easily relate Price's pain. And it had taken a lot of alone time and quite a few talks with Price before Soap stopped blaming himself for the destruction of his Task Force, he just wished he could do the same for Ghost. A sharp snap of a twig caused Soap to freeze in his tracks. His blue eyes gazed around the woodland around him, darting quickly from tree to tree in search of movement. His muscles were completely tense and he didn't dare to breathe as he searched for the source of the sudden noise. There was a crunch of snow from behind and the distinct sound of a heavy exhale. Soap whirled around and drew his pistol in one swift movement. He trained his gun on the head of his adversary who instantly raised his hands and took a step back.

"Whoa, easy mate. It's me." The smooth accented voice said calmly.

"Ghost?" Soap asked as he lowered his gun.

Ghost nodded as he lowered the hood to his jacket. A breeze whipped through the trees and ruffled his short dark hair.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Soap yelled angrily as the initial shock faded.

"I went for a walk." Ghost replied softly as he turned and started walking back to the cabin. Soap reached and grabbed his subordinate's shoulder before roughly jerking him back to face him.

"A walk? A bloody six hour walk? What if something would have happened to you Ghost? You would have been fucked. You can't just wonder off, not with all the shit that's going on!"

Ghost shrugged his Captain's hold off his shoulder and narrowed his eyes in defiance.

"I can take care of myself MacTavish, and I don't need your bloody permission to have some time on my own!" Ghost yelled back, his voice tinged with fury.

Soap blinked in surprise. He had never had Ghost talk back to him in such a way.

"What's happened to you Ghost? You're not yourself." He said softly.

Ghost didn't answer; instead he turned and started the hike back to the cabin. Soap watched him go for a moment before slowly forcing his legs to follow. They walked back in silence, Ghost walking slightly ahead, lost in his thoughts.

Price glanced up in surprise when Ghost and Soap stepped inside the cabin.

"We were starting to think the worst." Price said as he watched Ghost set his pistol down on the kitchen counter and pour himself a cup of coffee.

Soap sighed as he took his jacket off and sat at the table across from Price.

"Where's Nikolai and Archer?"

"Archer's getting a shower and Nikolai is in his room," Price said as he eyed Ghost, "everything alright?"

Soap followed the old Captain's eyes and shook his head. Ghost quietly sipped his coffee and disappeared into one of the bedrooms. Soap rubbed his eyes and sighed again.

"I don't know what's wrong with him Price," Soap said in a hushed tone, "He won't speak to me, he's so…distant."

"Just give him time mate." Price said.

Soap slowly rose and leaned over the counter. He grabbed Ghost's pistol and sat back down. There was a click as the clip released and slid out from the handle of the gun.

"The clips empty." Soap said as he angrily jammed the clip back into the weapon. Price slowly shook his head.

"Guess that explains why he was out so long."

"He's going to get himself killed," Soap said through gritted teeth.


	3. Chapter 3

Ghost opened his eyes slowly when he felt Archer roll over into him. The younger man was curled up in a ball sound asleep, his face looking extra smug with the added warmth from Ghost's body. Ghost smirked before pushing himself out of his sleeping bag and onto his feet. He stretched and glanced over at the kitchen table where Soap, Price and Nikolai were conversing quietly. Ghost looked down at Archer and noticed the sniper was coming awake due to the sudden depletion in warmth. The lieutenant twisted to the side, grimacing when he felt his spine pop in several places. He would have enjoyed sleeping in one of the beds in the bedrooms, but there was no other source of heat in the cabin besides the fireplace, they couldn't even get a hot bath without boiling the water first. Archer yawned as he finally woke up. He blinked and looked around, trying to recognize his surroundings.

"Never thought I would miss waking up in the camp this much. I'm tired of this place." He said softly as he rubbed at his eyes.

Ghost simply nodded in agreement as he twisted to the other side. When he straightened back out he noticed Soap was watching him with an unreadable expression. They locked eyes for a moment before Ghost tore his gaze away, anxiety eating at his chest. No doubt Soap would want to corner him alone to have a talk with him sometime today. Ghost sighed and stepped over Archer so he could reach his jacket, Nikolai had been nice enough to go into town and stock them up on new clothes, food, and supplies. He slipped it on and made his way over to his comrades.

"Good morning Lieutenant," Price said, "I figured your little stroll had worn you out a good deal."

Ghost winced internally. Why did Price have to bring that up? He silently hoped it wouldn't become the next topic of discussion and sighed in relief when Nikolai spoke up.

"We need to decide what we are going to do, this place will not remain safe for too long."

"Shepherd may be dead, but his lies are still considered the truth and we are considered the most dangerous fugitives in the world," Soap said, "We need proof if we are going to clear our names."

"Plus the fact they have proof that you are the one that killed Shepherd doesn't help us any." Archer said as he approached them, stretching his arms.

"If there was anything Shepherd was hiding, he blew it up along with that cave network in Afghanistan." Price said after sipping his coffee.

"Makarov." Ghost said suddenly. The others turned their eyes to him.

"Makarov has to have some kind of proof that Shepherd was working with him, we get him, we get the truth." Ghost explained.

"I doubt Makarov is going to talk even if we do manage to get him, death and torture doesn't faze this guy." Price replied.

"It's our only hope," Ghost said, "we have to try."

"What about the intel at Makarov's safehouse?" Archer ventured, "If the computers aren't damaged we could just make another copy and see what Shepherd was trying to hide."

Soap nodded in agreement.

"That could work. Either way, we will probably still have to capture this psychopath."

"By ourselves sir?" Archer asked, "There's no telling how many people are guarding him, we would be overwhelmed if we attacked him head on, and there's no hint as to where we should start looking."

"Maybe that's something the intel could help us out with." Soap replied.

"Makarov isn't stupid Soap, I'm sure he's sent someone to that safehouse to empty it out." Ghost said as he leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"We need to make a move somewhere, and we'll start at the safehouse." Soap said.

_Ghost _

Ghost sighed and turned at the sound of his name, not thinking anything of it. But what he came face to face with sent him leaping backwards in terror. There was a window behind him, and when he turned he spotted a reflection of a mangled and bloody face staring back at him. The eyes were glassy and black. Ghost stumbled backwards, his eyes wide with fear. He knocked some silverware off the kitchen counter and nearly fell into Soap's lap as he tripped up. Ghost reached out and grabbed the back of Soap's chair to steady himself. The lieutenant glanced at the puzzled faces watching him and turned back to look at the window. The face was gone. Ghost slowly allowed himself to relax but his breaths were still coming in heavy gasps and he was shaking slightly.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Price asked after a moment of stunned silence. Ghost couldn't answer, he was still staring at the window, not sure what to make of what just happened.

"Ghost, what's wrong?" Soap asked as he followed his friend's eyes and gazed at the window.

"I…nothing…" Ghost said softly as he slowly made his way to the front door, his head buzzing with confusion and fear.

"Where are you going Ghost?" Soap asked, his voice crossed with frustration and worry, as he rose from his seat.

"I'll go with him." Archer offered as he followed the Lieutenant to the door. Soap nodded and sighed as he sat back down.

"I don't need you to babysit me." Ghost called to Archer without looking back as he trekked through the snow.

"Yeah, well last time you went for a stroll you were gone for a long time mate. What happened back there?"

Ghost paused and gazed around at the trees around him. Archer came to a stop beside him and gazed at him, waiting for an answer. Ghost turned his eyes to the younger man. Archer had that same pressing curiosity that Roach did, and those same probing eyes, always searching for a reaction or a movement that would answer an unspoken question.

"Soap says you've been acting strange since we got out of that safehouse. Everyone can see it." Archer said. Ghost tore away from the younger man's gaze and glanced down at the snow covered ground.

"Soap also discovered that your clip was empty…he and Price think you went on some kind of killing spree."

Ghost snorted at this and began walking again, but Archer stepped in front of him and blocked his path.

"Look, I know I'm not Roach, but you can still talk to me." He said softly.

Ghost sighed, his breath visible in the cold. He wasn't going to have time for himself today, not with Archer pressing him.

"I didn't kill anyone." He replied.

"Then why was your pistol empty?"

"Because…because I'm seeing things again. I hallucinate, but I'm sure you've heard already." Ghost said almost angrily. He was still angry at himself for attacking Roach back at the camp only weeks ago. It felt like it had been months since that happened.

"Yeah I heard…" Archer answered looking away.

"Well, I spent hours running through the woods chasing and shooting at what I thought were enemies, but they only turned out to be in my head. I was so confused and exhausted… I don't remember what happened, but I woke up and I was nearly frozen." Ghost shivered, "The sun was up, and I managed to find my way back. That was when I ran into Soap."

"If you thought there were people outside why didn't you wake us up?" Archer asked.

"Because I just went out for a breath of fresh air, and then I saw movement." Ghost answered.

"And…what happened in there just now?" Archer asked nodding towards the cabin.

"I saw a face."

"A face?"

"In the window. It freaked me out to say the least," Ghost said as he gazed over Archer's shoulder, "Can we at least walk while we talk? I'm not a fan of standing out in the cold."

"For someone who isn't a fan of the cold you spend a lot of time in it." Archer backfired as he stepped out of Ghost's way and walked with him. Ghost smirked in response.

"Why is everyone a smartass these days?"

"My guess is they spent a lot of time around you." Archer said.

That brought a warm chuckle out of the Lieutenant, something Archer hadn't heard in days and he was unable to hold back a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Soap coughed and winced from the spark of pain in his chest.

"Still sore?" Nikolai asked glancing at him. Soap nodded slightly not looking up from the map in front of him. Price was explaining which precaution routes they should take at the safehouse, but Soap wasn't really able to focus on the old man's words. His mind kept wondering to Ghost, and the horrified look on the Lieutenant's face as he made for the door. Hopefully Archer was able to keep Ghost in check as they wandered through the wilderness outside.

Ghost crossed his arms as he gazed over the ledge at the river 200 feet below. Archer came beside him and paused a little farther away, peering cautiously over the steep edge.

"Come on mate, I won't let you fall, I promise." The Lieutenant chuckled.

Archer ventured closer, feeling a bit more secure with his CO keeping an eye on him. The beauty of the scene below nearly took his breath away. There was a large waterfall the dropped into a deep yet calm pool of water which funneled into a peaceful flowing river.

"So is this where you disappear to?" Archer asked as he fixed his gaze on the swirling water below.

"Sometimes, it relaxes me, makes it easier to clear my head." Ghost answered.

Archer looked up Ghost's face. With the mask off, it was easier to read the Lieutenant's expressions and right now he looked anything but relaxed. Ghost's eyes were dark from lack of sleep and they were glazed with sadness. His body looked tense, as if he was expecting an attack of some sort. Ghost must have sensed Archer's eyes because his focus shifted from the ledge to some unknown object on the ground. Archer knew Ghost must have been thinking about the events at the safehouse. Shepherd's betrayal, Roach's horrible death, nearly being burned alive, and then watching as Archer was nearly beaten to death for information. Ghost was the one in charge of the operation, he was responsible for the team, all 7 of them. Now, five of them were dead and Ghost and Archer had nearly lost their lives as well.

"It wasn't your fault." Archer said suddenly.

Ghost turned his blue eyes to his friend and slowly blinked.

"The last time I lost my team," he said softly, "was in Mexico when we were going after Roba. The ones that survived along with me, were beaten and tortured until they were brainwashed. They eventually turned against me."

Archer's eyes widened at this new bit of information, but the Lieutenant continued. The younger man hardly moved and remained silent as Ghost told his horrible tale. He didn't skip out on the details of the torture he endured, nor the shocking murder of his family and how he was blamed for it. He told Archer about how he went after the two men responsible for his family's death, how he snuck into the SAS's barracks and slit Washington's throat before dragging Sparks back to his apartment where his family was killed. He told Archer how he killed Sparks, then switched their tags before burning the building to the ground to fake his own death. He told how he hunted Roba down and took his final slice of revenge before killing each and every one of Roba's guards, the burned Roba's complex to the ground.

"I managed to sneak my way back into the SAS, using a fake name, going by "Ghost" and wearing that skull mask I always wore. I didn't know what else to do or where to go. That's where I met Soap, but he left shortly after I arrived. Unfortunately for me, someone knew who I was and it didn't take long for them to come get me. It was during training, that's when I spotted a chopper headed towards us," Ghost said narrowing his eyes, "It was Shepherd," He said the name with an angry hiss, "he offered me a position in the 141. Not that I had a choice. I was believed to be dead, and if I was discovered alive then they would lock me up for life if I was caught. He made it clear I didn't have a choice but to join. So I did."

Archer swallowed, "Toad told me about when you first arrived. He said you scared most of the men, being always quiet and mysterious."

Ghost smirked.

"It took me a while to accept where I was now. But the fact I was part of a group of handpicked soldiers brightened my mood a little. If I was going to be forced into warfare at least it was with men that knew what they were doing," he said, "I was still having a hard time trusting the people I was with. Especially Soap. We knew each other a bit but had never really spoken, and since I was to be his second in command he was determined to get to know me. Of course I resisted at first…but I eventually started to trust and respect him."

Archer nodded, his head with buzzing with all of these interesting yet horrific discoveries about his CO. Understanding flooded him as he realized why Shepherd's betrayal had taken such a toll on the Lieutenant. It was as if Ghost's past had repeated itself even thought the lieutenant had sworn to himself not to let it happen again. He wasn't sure why Ghost was telling him all this, but it felt good to know the man trusted him enough to give him such an insight on what he'd been through.

"Thank you." Archer said.

Ghost turned to him with a puzzled look.

"For what?"

"For telling me all this. I know you have to really trust someone to be this honest. It just makes me glad I'm one of those people." Archer said. Like Roach, he had looked up to Ghost as soon as he had joined the 141. Archer was only a year older than Roach, and had been chosen for his flawless sniping skills. As soon as he had met Ghost and saw what the Lieutenant could do he formed a deep respect and admiration for him. Archer, like the other young new recruits, fought and trained hard to be noticed by Captain MacTavish or his right hand man, but Roach had outdone them all in his skill and endurance. He had quickly won favor with Ghost, and if you were on good terms with Ghost, you had the Captain on your side as well. Archer couldn't help feeling jealous at times when Roach got his special treatment. Roach was allowed to sit with the CO's at meals, he was allowed at meetings, he was practically the only person the CO's treated as a friend and he was privileged to hang out with Ghost and actually have the Lieutenant _speak_ to him. When anyone else came around Ghost during free time and such, he hardly threw them a glance.

"I just felt like you needed to know." Ghost said breaking Archer's thoughts as he returned his eyes to the scene of nature in front of him.

Archer exhaled slowly and followed Ghost's gaze. He remembered when Ghost had rushed to his aid after being attacked by the dog. He remembered how Ghost, although terribly wounded, had fought like a rabid animal when Archer was being beaten in front of him. Archer felt a feeling of safety wash over him as he shot a glance at the strong from of Ghost standing next to him. He couldn't help feeling thankful that he was on the same side as this guy. He knew that if anyone threatened him or MacTavish, Ghost would gladly give his life to teach the offender a lesson they won't ever forget.

"Maybe we should stay for a bit longer if that wound is still bothering you." Price said as he rose from the table and headed towards the kitchen.

"I'm fine," Soap answered as he continued to stared down at the table, his head propped up with one arm, "We'll leave tomorrow."

"What about Ghost?" Nikolai asked, "he suffered harsh burns to his arm and I'm sure he's still suffering from the gunshot and stab wounds."

Soap was about to reply when Price spoke first.

"If he can handle running around in the snow all night I'm sure he'll be fine."

Soap bit down the frustration burning in him. Price didn't understand how much Ghost was struggling with himself right now. Soap was worried, he knew that Ghost's mental state had depleted after he was injured in Kazakhstan, and he seemed to have slowly gotten better, but then after Shepherd's betrayal Ghost had taken a horrid turn for the worst. At times, he didn't even seem like himself, like if another more dark and sinister person was in control of his thoughts and actions. Soap shivered when he remembered the gory killing of their Russian prisoner. That wasn't like Ghost to lose control like that, but then again, maybe there was a deeper part of the Lieutenant that Soap didn't understand yet. What he wanted to do was protect him, somehow. Soap had grown very close to Ghost over the years and losing him would be mind numbing. Soap couldn't go through that again, not after he believed Ghost had been killed at the safehouse only to find his broken body clinging desperately to life when they arrived. Seeing Ghost like that had brought a fury in him, but also an overwhelming sense of relief that at least he was still alive if only barely. Soap had to admit, he had felt lost when he thought his second in command was dead, and he knew that without Ghost, he wouldn't know what the hell to do.

"Soap!"

The urgency in Price's voice caused the captain and Nikolai to look over at him. Price was walking slowly towards them.

"There's a group of about eight surrounding the cabin. Grab a gun and get ready," he said as he reached for a UMP resting against the wall, "we've been found."


	5. Chapter 5

Soap barely had time to comprehend Price's words when the window by the table shattered. Nikolai grabbed Soap and pulled him to the ground as bullets pounded into the side of the cabin. Price fired back through the window, then ducked down as the enemy trained their guns on his position.

"Get back behind the couch!" Soap yelled over the sound of the firefight as he grasped his ACR from the wall. Nikolai snatched the map from the table and chased after the two Captains as they leaped for cover.

"We need to get to the chopper my friends!" Nikolai said.

"They have us pinned on all sides! There's no bloody way out of here!" Price said, ducking down as another window shattered from behind. Soap didn't answer or offer a solution to their situation. He was worried about his last two men, somewhere outside with the enemy.

Ghost pushed a branch up so it wouldn't be in his face. He took a step forward and nearly stumbled forward. He looked down to see the snow up at his ankle.

"Heads up mate," Ghost said, "there's a pretty deep hole whe—"

Ghost was cut off as a snowball exploded against the back of his head. He jumped forward and whipped around to see Archer, molding another snowball and smiling mischievously.

"You bloody wanker!" Ghost yelled, playfulness and good humor evident in his voice and smile.

Archer chucked the other snowball but the Lieutenant quickly dodged it by ducking to the side. Ghost grabbed a large handful of snow and threw it at Archer's head as he rose back up. The sniper laughed as he lifted his arm, blocking the snow. When he lowered it he noticed Ghost's blue eyes were bright and for the first time in days he didn't look distracted and upset. Archer reached out and slid some snow from a tree branch into his gloved hand, he noticed Ghost had taken shelter behind a large pine and was preparing his own "weapons". Archer raced forward, hoping to take the older man by surprise but Ghost was ready for him. He leaped out from behind the tree releasing a branch he had been holding back. The branch flew forward and smacked Archer hard in the stomach sending him flying backwards and landing with a crunchy thump in the snow. Ghost jumped up and hit another branch hanging over Archer, the sniper could only cover his face as a huge amount of snow collapsed on top of him. Ghost chuckled as he watched Archer struggle under the two feet of snow covering his face. He watched the sniper thrash about for a minute before reaching down and clutching the younger man's wrists. With a single heave, Ghost pulled Archer to his feet, smiling as he watched Archer wipe the slushy snow from his face and clothes. The sniper shivered and glared at the Lieutenant, but it was hard to look intimidating with his face bright red from the cold.

"I will NEVER have a snowball fight with you again." Archer said.

"You should have known better than to pick a fight with me." Ghost said as he raised an eyebrow.

"Well I didn't know you would cheat!"

"Not one time did I hear you say 'Ghost, you're not allowed to kick my arse with a tree,'" Ghost said, "Besides I didn't complain when you took a bitch shot at the back of my head!"

Archer mumbled something under his breath as Ghost turned to continue walking. The lieutenant whipped back around.

"What was that?" he said in a commanding voice, but it was impossible to miss the amused tone in his accent.

Archer gave him an innocent look as he took a step back and dropped the ball of snow he had been molding. Ghost shook his head as he eyed the snowball in progress.

"You just don't learn do y-"

Ghost stopped short and froze when he heard the echo of gunfire.

"That's coming from the cabin." Archer breathed.

Ghost didn't hesitate, he took off at a sprint, Archer hard on his heels. A hundred questions burned in Ghost's mind as he ran, but the only thing he could focus on was the fact that his Captain being shot at and Ghost was there to protect him. He ducked under branches and maneuvered around fallen logs as he ran. All Ghost could hear was the pounding in his ears as he moved and he didn't slow down until he spotted movement ahead of him. There were three men firing on the cabin, their white camo barely visible in the snow. One was slightly farther away than the other two. Ghost fell into a crouch and held up a fist to signal Archer to do the same. Ghost and Archer both were unarmed, so if they were going to take anyone out and steal a weapon they had to do it quick and with no mistakes. Archer caught his breath as he moved next to the Lieutenant.

"Take the one to the right." Ghost ordered as he started forward. Archer didn't question his orders as he broke off from Ghost's side and snuck up behind his enemy. Ghost watched as the sniper pressed himself against a tree. With lightning movement, he jumped forward and wrapped his hands around his enemy's face then twisted his arms hard to the right. The man's body instantly went limp and fell to the ground. Ghost smiled in approval at Archer's skill. _Just like Roach_ he thought. Roach never questioned an order Ghost gave him, he just got it done and with excellent precision. Ghost shook the thoughts off as he spotted Archer looking at him questioningly, he couldn't waste time with his pained thoughts right now. Ghost lunged at the closest man to him, quickly snapping his neck, taking his gun, and shooting the other man before he could make a move. Archer ran to Ghost's side and picked up a discarded FAL. The Lieutenant ducked back down and spotted four more men not far away. Luckily they hadn't noticed their comrades fall.

"Who are these guys? And how did they find us?" Archer whispered.

Ghost glanced down at the body at his feet. The man looked American, but his uniform bore no mark of where he was from or what unit he belonged to. Confusion and concern clouded Ghost's mind but there were more important things to deal with. The cabin was surrounded, and the only way to get his friends out would be to get the enemies attention.

"I'm gonna grab their attention, head for the cabin and get them out of there!" Ghost ordered as he raced away back into the woods. Ghost aimed at the four men and sprayed the TAR-21 he had picked up. Instantly, confusion and pandemonium broke out. Ghost had no idea how many people had surrounded the cabin, and he wasn't about to stop to find out. He ran, swerving around trees as bullets flew at him, pounding into the snow and whizzing by his head. He didn't hear anyone following, so he circled around and took shelter behind a large Pine. He spotted one of the men stalking slowly forward looking for him. Ghost raised his weapon and shot the man three time in the chest before breaking cover and sprinting out into the open once again. This time some of the group broke away and gave chase.

Soap quickly raised his ACR and was a split second from pulling the trigger when he heard a familiar voice.

"Captain Mactavish! Hold fire I'm coming in the front!"

Soap lowered his gun as Archer slipped in the front door and beckoned to them.

"Sir, we have to go now while Ghost has their attention!"

Silently Soap, Price, and Nikolai rushed to the door, grabbing ammo and supplies as they went.

"The helicopter is about half a mile from here." Nikolai said as they headed into the trees.

Soap gazed around spotting a small group of men running through the woods, firing their weapons as they went.

"We have to find Ghost." Archer said, looking up at the Captain.

Soap's mind was racing, if some of them were looking for Ghost then the rest weren't able to guard the entire cabin which means they were dealing with a fairly small group of people.

"Spread out and pick em off," Soap ordered as he lifted his ACR, "They still think we're in the cabin so take them out from behind."

Price nodded, his eyes brightening in approval of his former subordinate's commanding tone. As Nikolai, Price, and Archer doubled back, Soap sprinted deeper into the trees following the sound of gunfire.

Ghost was in pain now. Each step shot waves of agony through his chest. His pace had slowed, and he could hear the crunch of footsteps catching up to him. Ghost flinched when another bullet whizzed by his ear. The Tar he had picked up was empty now so he was defenseless. Ghost stumbled as he tripped up on a root hidden in the snow, and winced when he crashed into the trunk of a large tree. He couldn't run anymore, not when the wounds he suffered hadn't completely healed. Ghost braced himself as the sound of gunfire got closer. There was a snap of a twig nearby. Ghost held his breath and tensed his muscles. As soon as the form of his enemy came into view Ghost lunged out and tackled the man to the ground. He grasped his enemies neck and heard him grunt when they hit the snow with a hard thud.

"Ghost! Bloody 'ell, let me go!" Soap gasped.

Ghost's eyes widened as he recognized the form of his Captain struggling under him.

"Tavish? What are-"

A bullet sliced a hole into Ghost's jacket above his shoulder blade. He instantly released his Captain and rolled off him into the snow as two more bullets flew through the air where he had just been. Still laying on his back, Soap lifted his ACR and shot down the remaining men. With a sigh Soap let his arm collapse in the snow and looked over at Ghost who was lying next to him, idly molding a snowball.

"What are you doing?"

Ghost glanced over at his CO, then flicked the snowball into Soap's face. The Captain shot up into a sitting position, cursing and wiping snow from his eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" He yelled as shot a look at Ghost who had crossed his arms behind his head.

"You asked what I was doing," Ghost shrugged.

Soap sighed, face palming and shaking his head. _Well, at least Ghost was acting like his old smartass self again…_

"If you're done playing in the snow, we can head to the chopper and get out of here."

Ghost didn't answer, instead he grabbed more snow and started molding it again.

"Ghost! Drop it and let's move! Now!" Soap ordered as he rose to his feet.

Ghost instantly dropped the snow and rose to his feet.

"Geez, I'm moving," he mumbled as he followed Soap, "Bloody buzz kill is what you are…"

Soap rolled his eyes but couldn't stifle a chuckle.


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize for this taking so long and for it being kinda short. I've had a lot going on recently. Anyways thanks for being patient and enjoy!**

The helicopter ride to the safehouse was quiet. Ghost was gazing out the window, lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't happy about heading back, but he knew their options were running thin. He heard a slow sigh from beside him. Ghost turned his head and rested his eyes on Archer; the young sniper was staring down at his hands, obviously remembering that awful day. He felt his eyes harden as he too remembered how Shepherd had ruthlessly gunned him and Roach down after they had fought so hard to get to safety. Ghost had dragged his adopted brother to someone he thought would protect him, but his hopes had shattered when he had heard the loud gunshot of Shepherd's magnum, Roach slipping limply from his grasp, quickly followed by the blind shot bullet that had ripped through his chest and left him weak and gasping in the dirt. Ghost looked up when he felt a pair of eyes on him. His gaze met Soap's and the Captain frowned when he noticed his lieutenant's hard expression. Ghost's eyes instantly softened. He knew that his CO was desperately worried about him, and he wished there was some way to ease that worry. But even Ghost knew he wasn't completely in his right mind and there wasn't much he or anyone else could do about it. He suddenly blinked when a sharp pain shot through his head.

_You think too much English… _

Instantly Ghost obeyed and cleared his mind. He sighed when the pain slowly eased. He was aware that Soap's eyes were still on him, studying his expression, and he truly wished he still had his mask. The lieutenant turned away from his Captain's questioning eyes and gazed back out his window.

Ghost opened his eyes as Archer gently shook him. He quickly gazed around and realized he had dozed off. He slowly followed the sniper out of the helicopter and stepped out onto the field beside Price. The sun was beginning to set, dying the trees and hills around them red. Ghost's breath caught as he spotted the burnt grass ahead of him. Roach's body was gone and he knew right away that his suspicions had been correct. Someone had cleaned this place up and destroyed any evidence of what took place here. Ghost had to force his legs to move as he made his way to the place of Roach's death. The Lieutenant gazed down at the scorched grass, some of it still stained with his and Roach's blood. The smell of burnt flesh and gasoline still clung to the atmosphere.

"That son of a bitch…" Soap mumbled as he looked at the horrid scene of Shepherd's brutal crime, only able to imagine the horrors of what his men went through. Ghost felt himself shake slightly as he remembered the shock of what had took place here, and the raw heart piercing sadness of holding Roach as he died. He felt numb on the outside as his emotions began running high within him. He was vaguely aware of warmth coming from his right side and when he glanced to his right he noticed Archer was pressed closely against him in an effort to comfort him. The younger man's eyes were blazing with anger as he gazed down at the seared ground, but as he met Ghost's icy blue eyes he gave him a small reassuring smile. Ghost returned it and was suddenly grateful for Archer's closeness. It was hard being back at this place, but to have someone he shared this dark moment with eased his agitation. He gently closed his eyes for a moment and broke away from the group. He noticed Price heading up the hill towards the safehouse and he silently followed him. Price slowly edged around the corner of the back door, his assault rifle leading the way. Ghost stayed back at a distance, his blue eyes darting in all directions as he drew the pistol Soap had given him. Price slid inside, and the lieutenant followed. Price walked forward, Ghost walking backwards close behind, and together they checked the first floor of the safehouse. Price motioned for Ghost to stay before taking off upstairs. Ghost watched him go, then let his eyes roam the empty living room. The computers were gone. The files and pictures were gone. _Everything_ was gone. Everything except the blood stains on the floor and walls. He spotted the place where he had been with Chemo and noticed a smear of blood as if his comrade's body had been dragged. He silently wondered what had been done with the corpses of his men as well as those of the enemy. The sound of silent footsteps coming up the stairs made him tense in apprehension and swing his pistol in that direction. He quickly lowered it when he spotted the top of Soap's mohawked head edging up the stairs.

"Basement's clear." He said as he came beside his lieutenant.

"And so are the rooms upstairs." Price said as he came down the stairs.

"They really cleaned up in here," Archer said, "The weapons, the bodies, the evidence, everything is gone."

"Not the blood." Ghost said softly as he gazed once again at the blood stains where Chemo had fallen.

"So there's nothing here that we can use. No lead that will take us closer to Makarov," Price said irritably, "If you hadn't have gotten blade happy on our prisoner's neck then we wouldn't be wasting our time here," he shot at Ghost.

Ghost instantly clenched his fist as a fury shot through him. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Price, who narrowed his eyes. Ghost looked up at the old Captain, unable to hold back the hostility in his gaze. Price met his stare evenly and Ghost noticed the glimmer of distrust his pale eyes showed. Soap was immediately between them. Ghost wasn't one to get agitated so easily, but the sudden tenseness in his body alerted Soap that his Lieutenant was about 10 seconds from swinging.

"Let's get going. There's nothing here for us." He said.

"And what's our next move Soap? We can't go back to the cabin, we can't go back to the states, we have nowhere to go. Makarov is our only path for freedom and now we have no idea where to start searching for him." Price said.

"I don't know Price," Soap sighed, "But we can't stand here and argue about it, that'll get us nowhere. We need to find a new place to stay while we think this thru."

There were a few heartbeats of silence before Ghost's body finally relaxed and his fist loosened.

"Then let's get moving then." He said almost angrily as he brushed past Soap and made his way to the front door.

When he stepped outside, Ghost took in a good breath of air to clear his nerves.

_You should leave them English, you always were better off on your own._

Ghost shook his head in response but he caught himself considering it for a moment and almost instantly he felt ashamed. There was no way he could bring himself to leave Soap's side. Not when he was needed now more than ever. Ghost gazed up at the window of the bedroom he and Archer had been beaten and tortured in.

_They're holding you back from what you need to do._

The urge to wrap his hands around someone's neck followed Roba's voice reminding him of what he had sworn to do. The revenge he was hungry to have. He realized he didn't care about freedom, because technically he never had it. All his life he had been force to fight for his survival as he watched friends and loved ones die around him. Now he was wanted not only in the UK, but in the US as well for crimes he didn't commit. All his life he had strived to do the right thing and to protect others, and in return he was considered a murderous traitor. Ghost sighed as he spotted Nikolai approaching him, and the sound of his teammates exiting the safehouse behind him. He didn't care where they went or how they would hunt down Makarov. All he cared about was getting rid of the men that had helped Shepherd carry out his betrayal.

"Are you ok?" Archer's timid voice asked softly.

Ghost turned to see the sniper looking up at him with a worried expression. He noticed that Soap was also looking him over; probably looking for any more signs of aggression as Price stalked passed them.

"Yea I'm fine mate." Ghost answered as he watched the old Captain exchange words with Nikolai for a moment before they both headed down the hill to the chopper.

"Come on let's get out of here," Soap said from behind, "Nikolai will find us another place to stay for a while and maybe with a bit of luck we can figure out what the bloody hell we're gonna do."

Ghost blankly nodded. An idea had already sprung up in his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

Ghost lifted the window and held it up so that Soap, Price, and Archer could slide inside. The Lieutenant quietly ducked in after them and gently lowered the window so that it closed and latched with a slight click. Nikolai was already inside laying out ammo and weapons on a nearby table. Ghost gazed around the room, wrinkling his nose at the musky smell of the rundown hotel they were forced to stay in. Most of the green striped wallpaper had peeled off to reveal a cement wall underneath. Mold was visible on the roof and walls and there was a dusty stained box spring in the floor that was meant to be served as a bed.

"Well this brings back memories." Ghost mumbled to himself as he recalled the days he spent huddled in alleyways and abandoned buildings while he was on the run. He would have loved to go to the remainder of his family for help but he knew they would never have believed him. His entire country believed he had lost his mind and murdered his family.

"So why did we have to sneak in through the window?" Archer asked as his eyes swept around the room. He was clearly unimpressed.

"We can't take any chances. Keep in mind we're all wanted criminals now." Price answered as he checked the ammo in his UMP.

Ghost heard yelling coming from outside and he slowly moved to one of the windows to gaze out at the street. All he spotted where dark sketchy looking figures walking by the roadside.

"I wonder who sent those men to attack us. They obviously weren't military." Ghost heard Soap said from behind.

"Mercenaries perhaps?" Ghost ventured.

"But sent by who? They looked American." Archer said.

The statement was met with silence.

"Does it really matter?" Ghost muttered, "We have huge bounties on our heads and enemies around every corner."

"Well the sooner we get Makarov and squeeze the truth out of him the sooner we can get back to our lives." Soap said as he lit a cigar.

"If what we do is what you call a life." Ghost smirked.

Soap didn't answer, instead he took a long drag on his cigar and exhaled slowly.

"Perhaps we could search some records and find someone linked to Makarov." Nikolai said as he lit the stove and placed a large pot over the small flame.

"There's no need to search, we already have someone." Ghost said as he turned and crossed his arms, glad he had remembered the last link to Makarov when they were back at the safehouse.

"Who?" Price asked.

"Rojas." Ghost answered as he rested his gaze on the team.

Soap eyes lit up as he considered this.

"Don't you think he'll be long gone by now? Considering he's even still alive…" Archer said.

"Who's Rojas?" Price asked.

"Makarov's supplier," Soap answered as exhaled a cloud of smoke, "and he won't go into hiding. People are after this guy's arse everyday and he's only been caught once. If anything he's upped his militia."

"Wasn't it difficult enough getting him the first time?" Archer asked remembering how only half of the team had returned from the mission.

"Aye…that it was." Soap said softly, obviously sharing the same memories.

"Only cause we came at him out in the open," Ghost said, "a group of men is more easily seen then just one."

Price narrowed his eyes at Ghost as he became aware of where the Lieutenant was going with this.

"It would be easy to dress up as one of his militia and sneak my way in. If he increased his guards then he won't know them personally so it'll make my job easier. I get in, get close, and when the time is right, grab Rojas and book it."

"Seems a bit risky mate. I'm not sure about this." Soap said as he shook his head.

"We may not have a choice. Rojas is the only one that can give us a lead on Makarov. Now that Shepherd's gone Makarov doesn't have a smokescreen and he's gonna need to resupply and re-plan. The war he started is over, and after that failure he's not gonna give up. If anything he'll bide his time then strike with twice as much force, and the firepower he needs he'll get from Rojas."

Soap remained silent but he looked thoughtful.

"I think Ghost is right. It'll be risky, but it may be the only option we have." Price said.

Soap slowly began to nod in agreement and Ghost clenched his fist in anticipation. The sooner he got Makarov, the sooner he would discover the location to Shadow Company's headquarters. Regardless of the fact Shepherd was dead, Ghost was bloodthirsty, and he was determined to make someone pay for the murder of his friends.

"Well before we make a move we need time to relax and recover." Soap said as he took another puff of his cigar.

"I picked up some medical supplies," Nikolai said as he dropped some cut up vegetables into the now boiling pot of water, "it's about time your wounds were redressed."

Archer reached for the large black duffle bag, and after a bit of digging pulled out a large first aid kit. The sniper popped it open and snatched up some antibacterial ointment and a roll of gauze before making his way over to Ghost who was still stationed solidly by the window. Archer knew that Ghost had no intention of taking care of his injuries, and the last thing he needed was an infection to fight along with his inner demons. Ghost shot Archer a sideways glance as the sniper came up beside him.

"Let me check your arm." Archer said in a voice that commanded rather than asked. This didn't go unnoticed by Ghost, who raised an eyebrow in response to his subordinate's tone.

"I'm gonna check your chest and shoulder too so jacket off, now." Archer continued as he beckoned to the table with his head.

"Was there an exchange in power that I was unaware of?" Ghost asked as he allowed himself to be guided to an empty seat next to Soap.

"Nah, just an increase to the retaliation towards your stubborn arse." Soap answered with a grin.

Ghost rolled his eyes and then winced when Archer began unraveling the bandage around his arm. For the most part the burns on his forearm were healing but the skin was still raw in some places. Archer squeezed a bit of the ointment onto the burn wound and gently spread it over with his fingertips. Ghost had to grit his teeth at the pain but as the ointment was spread over his arm the burning was instantly soothed. Ghost glanced at the pack of cigarettes on the table that were just out of reach.

"Could you pass me a smoke?" Ghost asked as he turned his gaze to Soap.

The Captain raised an eyebrow.

"You sure that's a good idea when you had a hole in your lung not too long ago?"

"I'll be fine mum." Ghost scoffed as he extended his hand. Soap merely shrugged and dropped a cigarette into the Lieutenant's palm. Ghost stuck the filter into between his lips and lit the other end. As soon as he inhaled the smoke, Ghost regretted the decision. A severe burning spread across his chest and he burst into a coughing fit that sent sparks of pain from his bullet wound.

"Told ya so." Soap mumbled, but the humor in his eyes quickly turned to worry when he spotted drops of blood on Ghost's arm when his coughing ceased and he finally pulled away. The Lieutenant gazed at the scarlet drops on his arm then dismissed them by wiping them on his pant leg. Soap kept his eyes fixed on his friend but said nothing, he didn't need to, Ghost could feel the Captain's concern burning through him from his superior's stern gaze. He avoided eye contact and watched as Archer finished rewrapping his injured arm then nodded for Ghost to remove his jacket and shirt. For once he didn't retaliate or complain. Ghost slid off his clothes and suppressed a shiver as the cold air touched his skin. He was keenly aware of Price studying his old scars and to hide his annoyance he focused on watching Archer clean the bullet wound on his shoulder.

"Soup is done." Nikolai said as he began pouring some into bowls.

Soap removed his pistol from the table and put out his cigar. He reached for one of the bowls and put it in front of Ghost. The Lieutenant gazed at the food and felt his stomach turn. He knew not eating would spark more worry from Soap but he knew he wouldn't be able to stomach anything at the moment. Archer gently patted another bandage onto the wound and turned to a bowl waiting for him. Ghost clenched his jaw as he watched his comrades eat. Slowly he slid on his shirt and jacket and rose from the table.

"Where are you going?" Soap asked instantly.

"Just for a walk, I need some fresh air." Ghost said as he headed for the door.

Soap sighed as he heard the door shut. It seemed that Ghost was slipping further away everyday.


	8. Chapter 8

**IM BAAAAACK! Sorry it's been so long and sorry this chapter is kinda short but regardless I hope you guys enjoy it!**

Ghost breathed in the sharp cold air and gazed up at the star lit sky. Part of him wanted to just run, to be solo again without having to rely on anyone or having to trust others. Trust was hard to come by these days but regardless he knew he could never bring himself to desert Soap and the others. His heart told him Soap would never let him down but his mind told him something different. That he was wasting his time. That he could be halfway to the shadow company by now and could rid the world of them as well as that filth Malkarov. He wanted to fully believe that Soap would never betray him, but he thought the same about Vernon and Shepherd, and they both had left him for dead. Was there no honor and good left in the world? It seemed with every passing day Ghost felt more and more alone. He was trying his hardest to bring Archer and Soap closer to him so he would at least have _someone_ in his life. But now he was starting to think that was a bad idea. He just felt jumbled and confused and worst of all…hopeless. A loud crash in an alley way across the street caught his attention. Stealthfully, Ghost darted across the street. He followed the sound of an angry voice hissing in Russian and came upon the alley a little ways down the street. Cautious, Ghost peeked around the corner and spotted a large Russian man standing over the cowering form of a young male, in his early teens. The large man had a gun in hand and was waving it at the boy's head threatening him, for what Ghost didn't care, he was already moving. The man made a startled cry as Ghost came up behind him, grabbed the wrist holding the gun and twisted it back causing him to drop the weapon instantly. He then wrapped his hand around the man's neck and pulled him back with such force it sent him flying backwards. The man crashed into a nearby dumpster and collapsed on the ground. He looked up fearfully as Ghost stood menacingly over him, his blue eyes burning with fury. Without a moment's hesitation the man scuttled away on his hands and knees until he was out of Ghost's reach, he then jumped to his feet and dashed away down the street. Ghost watched him go before turning to the young boy still crouched in the corner nearby. He was gazing up at Ghost with awe in his dark brown eyes. Ghost allowed his features to soften and gave the boy a small smile before offering his hand. After a moment of hesitation, the boy took it and allowed Ghost to pull him to his feet. When he was closer to Ghost, his eyes widened as he studied the long scar on his savior's face. The boy's curious eyes made the Lieutenant feel slightly uncomfortable but he gave him another small smile just to reassure him. In response, Ghost got something he didn't expect, the boy embraced him tightly, burying his head in Ghost's chest. For a moment the battle scarred Lieutenant didn't know how to respond. Slowly he brought his arms around and hugged the boy's thin body back. After a moment, the boy pulled away and gazed at Ghost again. He was smiling and his eyes were moist with tears. Before Ghost could say a word, the boy backed away a few steps, then ran off into the darkness. Ghost stood there staring out at the street. He wasn't sure what to make of what just happened but it left his chest feeling light. He gazed down at the gun laying on the ground and reached down to grab it. As soon as the weapon left the ground Ghost snorted. From the weight of the weapon he knew it wasn't loaded. He man had been nothing more than a coward and a bully. Ghost shook his head and threw the weapon back down on the ground before walking back out into the street. He was about to wonder down the street a ways when a shuffling from behind caused him to whip back around to face the alley. His eyes were greeted with nothing but darkness. Ghost narrowed his eyes and turned back to the street only to freeze in his tracks. A choking breath caught in his throat.

"Roach?" he gasped.


	9. Chapter 9

Before Ghost could finish, Roach whipped around startling him. The hard gaze in the sergeant's eyes was an obvious warning to remain silent. A slight whispering could be heard, and Ghost ventured to the edge of the alleyway Roach had frozen at. There he spotted three dark figures gazing up at the rusty ladders the remaining Task Force members had used to get to their room. Ghost felt his blood freeze. These men looked very similar to the ones that had attacked their safehouse in the Sayan Mountains. Somehow, they had tracked them to this very spot. Ghost knew he had to somehow warn the others, but these men were blocking the only way he knew how to get to the room unnoticed. Ghost turned and realized with a jolt that he was alone. Roach had vanished. Urgently he began scoping the building for another way up. Crestfallen he realized the only other way was to walk in the front door and risk everyone's safety of being discovered, but he was beginning to think that was his only option. He heard the creak of the ladder as the men began to climb. Ghost was running out of time. He had no way to contact his friends and no way to get to them. Without warning a sudden rage took over the Lieutenant. His eyes hardened as he once again gazed at the alleyway.

"_You want to save your friends? Then kill them" _

Ghost was too desperate to fight the voice in his head. Clutching a small switchblade he carried with him, he snapped the knife opened and walked into the alleyway, the light from the street illuminating his figure as he cornered his enemy. The man on the ladder noticed him immediately but had no time to call a warning as Ghost struck like a cobra. Lunging forward, he grabbed the nearest man to him and slit his throat with one powerful slice across the throat, in an instant he was on the next, flipping him to the ground as he tried to fight back against the raging Lieutenant. Ghost didn't waste time as he stabbed the writhing from beneath him repeatedly until it went still. The man on the ladder struggled to get up and away from the madman beneath him, but he wasn't quick enough. Ghost jumped up and slashed the man's left Achilles tendon right through causing him to release the ladder and fall to the ground screaming in pain. Ghost clasped a hand around the man's mouth muffling the noise as he teasing ran the blade over the man's sweat covered forehead.

"No one else will be taken from me." Ghost whispered although his voice sounded foreign even to his own ears.

The man attempted to scream one last time as Ghost's blade slammed down into his eye socket, piercing his brain and killing him instantly. Ghost remained where he was, staring down at his dead enemy as the blood quickly covered his hands. He suddenly felt exhausted and collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily. A bell rang violently in his head warning him to get his friends out of there. These men were scouts, the real force was more than likely nearby waiting to hear from them. It was only a matter of time before they would suspect something to be wrong. Shaking, Ghost rose to his feet and began climbing the rusted ladder. It felt like the climb took forever as Ghost finally made it to the top and knocked gently on the window. Archer was there in seconds, lifting the window and allowing the Lieutenant entrance.

"We have to get out of here." Ghost said as he walked towards his friends still seated at the table.

"And why's that?" Soap asked as he looked up. Instantly he froze and his eyes widened in shock. As Ghost stepped into the light, blood could be easily seen dripping from his hands and splattered across his chest.

"What the hell happened?" Price exclaimed as he too spotted the blood.

"There's no time to explain. We will all be dead if we don't leave this place now." Ghost replied reaching for a gun.

Soap knew and trusted Ghost enough to not question him.

"Archer, grab the supplies and take up the rear. Nikolai, take us to the chopper, you know these streets better than we do. We need to stick to the shadows and get out of here as quickly as possible."

Ghost threw his Captain a look of gratitude for not questioning him. He knew they didn't have time to discuss what had happened but he also didn't _want_ to discuss it either. How could he explain that Roach's ghost had led him to the enemies and that Roba's ghost had persuaded him to slaughter them? They would tag him insane without hesitation. As much as Ghost himself believed he was mentally screwed in the head, he couldn't afford to lose their trust because of it. Silently he loaded the pistol he had snatched up and followed the Captains out of the room. If they were going to make it out of the city, they had to move fast.


	10. Chapter 10

Ghost's many healing wounds were throbbing by the time they reached the small helicopter that was hidden under bushes and debris a few miles from the town. There had been no detection of anyone following the Task Force members which for once was a lucky break. Soap helped Nikolai pull the brush off the rotors as Ghost crouched beside Archer, his eyes darting around the darkness in search of movement. Archer however, was too distracted by Ghost's bloodstained jacket.

"What happened?" He whispered.

Ghost glanced at his friend but remained silent. He didn't know what to say and he couldn't bring himself to lie. The last thing he wanted was for Archer to fear him because he couldn't control his temper. Ghost was saved from the awkward decision from Soap calling out from behind them.

"Ghost, Archer, load up, let's go."

Ghost jumped up at the command, and climbed into the chopper behind his Captain as the rotor blades starting spinning. Archer and Price followed close behind. Ghost seated himself across from Soap, next to the opening in the chopper so he could gaze out at the night sky. Archer and Price sat on the opposite side, Archer next to Ghost and Price joining his ex subordinate. Ghost took deep breaths as the throbbing pains in his body began to ease. He was grateful for the silence inside the chopper, the only noise coming from the rotor blades as the bird lifted into the air.

"Where are we heading?" Nikolai asked over the mic, shattering the silence.

Price glanced toward Soap.

"The UK might be our best bet. Archer and Ghost are still young, I'm sure they have friends and family there that might be able to give us a place to stay til we get our strength back."

"I have an Uncle in Manchester that I'm sure would help," Archer piped up, "He has a guest house we could use."

Ghost swallowed hard at the idea. The idea of returning home haunted his very soul more than Roba ever could.

"It's worth a shot. We have nowhere else to go." Price said.

After a moment, Soap nodded in agreement.

"Manchester, Nikolai. Can we make that?"

"Da my friend. I will need to stop to refuel a few times but we can do that."

"How far is it?" Archer asked.

"From here? A little over 1300 miles." Soap replied as he leaned back to get comfortable.

"Presuming we aren't shot out of the sky first." Price teased.

Ever fiber in Ghost's body screamed to him to not return home. He knew nothing good could come of it but he remained silent. Price was right. They didn't have a choice and he knew that if he didn't take it easy for a few days his wounds would never heal. The burns on his forearm still stung beneath the bandages when he moved and the blast he took to the shoulder still throbbed with every step. The cuts stab wounds he had from his torture in the safehouse were healing nicely as long as he didn't reopen them. Ghost gazed outside, watching the lights from the town grow into a small speck in the surrounding darkness. He breathed in some of the sharp cold air that flowed into the chopper and tried to erase the anxiety that fluttered in his chest.

"So what happened." Soap said. It was more of an order than a question but he said it in such a soft tone that it got Ghost's attention in just the right way.

"I…." Ghost hesitated and sighed, trying to think of the right way to say it "I spotted some men coming up the ladder at the hotel. They were headed for the room and I had to stop them."

"You killed them?" Price asked.

Ghost had been hoping the old Captain wouldn't get involved in this. Not only did the Lieutenant not trust Price but he also wasn't the easiest person to talk to either.

"I had to."

"No you didn't. Why didn't you keep one for questioning?" Price asked angrily, "We could have found out who the hell these people are and how they keep tracking us. This is the second time you've slaughtered our only chance at information, and right now we need as much as we can get!"

Anger flared in Ghost's chest and he shot the Captain a glare.

"Don't you think I know that? Things just got out of control."

"That's been happening a lot with you lately." Price replied.

Ghost's anger quickly turned to fury and his grip tightened on the pistol he was holding.

_Kill him, kill him._

Ghost shut his eyes in an effort to ignore the chanting voice. He didn't realize that he had raised the weapon a few inches until he felt the vice like grip of Soap's hand on his wrist. Ghost's eyes snapped open.

"Give it to me." Soap ordered, his eyes hard and his voice like steel.

All the anger drained out of Ghost's body at once as he slowly loosened his grip on the pistol and let it drop into Soap's waiting hand. The captain released his wrist and sat back, placing the weapon in his lap as he did. Ghost wanted to apologize, just so Soap would stop looking at him like a potential enemy, but he remained silent and gazed back outside. Maybe it was a good thing the others were wary of him. He didn't even trust himself anymore.

He didn't know how long he had been staring outside, but when Ghost looked back inside the chopper everyone was asleep, except for Soap who was gazing out at the moon that shone just above them, illuminating the inside of the bird with its pale light. Ghost glanced over at his Captain who was easily seen in the moonlight flooding around them. His face was blank, as if in deep thought. He must have felt Ghost watching him because he slowly turned his head and returned his second in command's gaze. Ghost had never found it so hard to look Soap in the eyes before and he found himself looking down at the floor of the chopper.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, the guilt eating him, "for everything."

Soap didn't reply. But when Ghost looked up at him he could see the Captain's eyes had softened.

"It's not your fault." He said in an equally soft voice.

Ghost wanted to believe him, but he just couldn't. He couldn't believe it when he knew that if it wasn't for him, his family would still be alive. Their death was because he survived, and he felt that if he had just turned himself in instead of joining the Task Force things may have been different for the force as well.

"I should have left when I had the chance." He said, "You, Price, and Archer would be better off without me. I'll split off when we hit Manchester." _Or before _he added to himself.

"Stop bloody talking like that." Soap said angrily, "We need you Ghost."

"I'm causing more harm than good." Ghost argued, "It'll be best for everyone if I'm gone."

"Best for everyone? Ghost, I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for you. Have you forgotten when you were nearly blown to pieces by an RPG to save me?"

Ghost looked away.

"I sure as hell haven't forgotten," Soap continued, "you've saved my life more times than I can count and I'm not going to just abandon you somewhere. We need to stick together if we are going to get through this."

"I'm a danger to us Tavish, I know that and so do you."

"You're not going anywhere Ghost. I'd rather die than not have you here."

Ghost was stunned into silence. He'd never felt so needed before and it lit a spark of happiness in his battered heart. Soap was still watching him, his eyes defiant as if he was determined to win this argument no matter what. But Ghost was done, he had heard what he needed to and his decision was made. He would stay with his team and gladly give his life for them if it meant he could somehow keep them safe. The desire for revenge was still tugging at him but he pushed it away for now. His first priority was to protect his friends and that meant he had to learn to control himself.

_Your mine English…_

"No…" Ghost whispered. "I'm not."


	11. Chapter 11

When Ghost awoke, he woke with a start mainly because he had lost all concept of time. The sun was up, but it looked as if it was setting. When he tried to sit up his body screamed in protest, every limb and muscle stiff and tight.

"It's about time you woke up."

Ghost glanced up, his blue eyes squinting in the sunlight. Soap was smiling at him from across the chopper.

"How long have I been asleep?" Ghost asked in a raspy voice as he rolled his neck, flinching as it popped more than he intended it to.

"Quite a while," Soap said as he gazed at his watch, "about 16 hours."

"Your bloody kidding."

"You actually scared me a few times." Archer said as he gazed over at them, "When we landed to refuel, you didn't even move."

"You were exhausted," Soap said quickly, catching the embarrassed look in his Lieutenant's eyes, "by the looks of it, that much sleep did you a great deal of good."

Although Ghost couldn't see it, the dark circles under his eyes had faded a good deal and most of the color had returned to his face. The one thing he did realize was that for the first time in days, he was starving. In the light, Ghost could clearly see the faces of his comrades. He could easily tell that they too had gotten some rest on the flight. Price however, was turned away from them, gazing outside. Ghost watched him for a moment, then returned his attention to Soap.

"How much longer?"

Soap gazed outside.

"We still have a few hours I'd say. We've been making good time though."

"Good. I'm ready to be out of this bloody chopper." Ghost said as he attempted to stretch, only to recoil at the pain it caused. Frustrated, Ghost relaxed his body and rested his head on the cold steel wall next to him.

"I wish I could have gotten my hands on Shepherd for what he did to me," Ghost muttered angrily as he gazed outside, "For what he did to everyone."

Soap gazed sadly at his friend. The death he dealt to Shepherd was swift and painless. Something far less than he deserved. Nevertheless, he was dead and out of the way. Now it was just a matter of cleaning up the mess.

Ghost shivered visibly as he suddenly noticed the blood on his jacket. In the light, the dark splatter covered him entirely and with one fluid movement, he unzipped the clothing and shrugged it off exposing a thick bullet proof vest covering his black undershirt. Ghost shed his blood covered gloves as well, enjoying the sensation of the cold air running between his fingers. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath enjoying the feeling of just being alive. But the feeling was quickly lost as he remembered where they were headed. Would he be recognized? Ghost smirked as he realized it didn't really matter. He was running with the two most wanted men in America right now. Ghost opened his eyes and gazed at Price for a moment who still seemed to be lost in deep thought. He wanted to trust the old Captain like Soap did, but every fiber in his body wouldn't allow it. This was something that frustrated him. He missed being able to rely on everyone around him, it was the partnership and brotherhood bond he loved while in the SAS, and now, after two betrayals that nearly killed him, it was gone. Soap was all Ghost had left. He was the only person that Ghost knew for a fact he could rely on, but there was still some doubt at times that made the Lieutenant feel ashamed. He knew Soap would never do anything to betray him, but he had thought the same of Shepherd too. Confused and irritated, Ghost rested his head back on the side of the chopper.

The sun was going down again when Nikolai found a place he deemed safe enough to land. Soap and Price helped the Russian pilot pull a camo cover over the bird while Archer and Ghost wondered on ahead. They were about a mile hike from Manchester and Ghost was becoming increasingly anxious. He was most concerned about running into someone he knew, that could cause a whole mess of problems for him and the team.

"You ok mate?"

Ghost gazed at Archer, remembering without his mask, his emotions were easily read.

"Yea, I'm just…not too thrilled about being here again." Ghost replied softly.

Archer gave his commanding officer a questioning look before realization hit.

"This is where you're from?" he asked.

Ghost nodded.

"I haven't been here since…" he paused, "…I'm worried someone will recognize me."

Ghost stopped walking as the lights from the city came into view through the trees.

"I may not be the most social of people but I grew up with a few friends and I still have a bit of family living here. Was never close to them but they might still recognize me." He said.

"Even with that?" Archer asked as he nodded towards the Lieutenant's face.

Ghost ran a finger across the long scar on the side of his face and sighed.

"Maybe. Maybe not." He replied. "Just hope your Uncle doesn't watch too much of the news."

"He'll believe me. My Uncle raised me after my parents died. We should be safe there until we can make our next move." Archer said as he came up to stand beside him.

"I hope your right." Ghost whispered.

"Alright, let's go." Soap said as he seemed to materialize out of nowhere, "It's getting late."

The small group moved into the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible as they went. They walked in line, Price leading and Ghost covering the rear. The Lieutenant swatted a small branch to the side as he stepped over a log. Every step took him closer to his past, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to face it yet, and to make it worse he was unarmed. Soap still hadn't returned the handgun and that fact was beginning to make Ghost feel on edge. First of all because of the lurking danger around every corner. They had been found in their last two hiding spots how would this one be any different? And second, because it stung that Soap didn't trust him enough to hold a weapon. Ghost knew he wouldn't turn that gun on any of his friends, or at least, he wouldn't do it intentionally anyway. He sighed to himself as he remembered how he had brutally killed the men in the alleyway. Maybe it was a good call on Soap's part after all. Maybe he should have taken Ghost's knife too. The troubled Lieutenant looked up as he noticed his Captain slow his pace to come beside him.

"Do me a favor," Soap said quietly, "and try not to wonder off when we get into town. We need to stay together and out of sight so we can avoid anymore incidents like in Russia."

Ghost was irritated at being treated like a child but he knew Soap was right. This was a dangerous place to be, especially for him.

"Yes sir." He replied softly.

Soap nodded and then sped his pace back up to regain his place in line. Ghost watched him go, half wishing that he would have stayed and walked with him. He felt a dire need for some source of comfort as the trees began to thin out before them and the buildings came into view. Price held up a hand and they halted and crouched as a car sped by.

"Archer, how far is your Uncle's house from here?" he asked.

The young sniper gazed around for a bit at what little they could see.

"Honestly sir, I'm not sure. I don't recognize this road."

"It's Chapel Road," Ghost said, "We're near Hayfield."

Everyone turned to the Lieutenant, but instead of explaining he gazed at Archer.

"Were does your Uncle live?"

"He lives off Denmark Road, near the park."

"We have a ways to go then," Ghost said swallowing down the lump in his throat. That wasn't too far from where his Mother used to live. "We're gonna need a lift."

"I'll go into town and find a payphone. See if he can pick us up." Archer said as he looked to Soap. The Captain nodded his approval. Archer quickly took off his jacket and vest, and left his sniper rifle, sidearm, and combat knife in Ghost's care.

"Make it quick. And be careful." Soap said as Archer left the shelter of the trees and ran across the road towards the town. Ghost let out a deep sigh as the sniper disappeared from view. His breath was a visible cloud in the cold air as the sun vanished behind the horizon taking all the light with it. The only light they had now was coming from the small town not far away. Ghost ran a hand over the barrel of Archer's sniper rifle. He considered himself decent enough with such a weapon, but he knew that was one skill Archer could always surpass him in. He had never seen his friend miss. Ghost's sixth sense told him he was being watched. He turned to see Price watching him intently from his place beside Soap. Ghost returned it, refusing to be stared down or intimidated in any way. The atmosphere was beginning to get tense when Soap nudged his old Captain and nodded towards something in the distance. Ghost wasn't interested in whatever had sparked his commanding officer's interest, he was just relieved Price's pale eyes were off of him. There was a sudden strange tickle in Ghost's throat and he coughed, the action causing sparks of pain in his chest. Ghost hunched over as his coughing became more and more painful. He covered his mouth in an effort to keep as quiet as possible, and after a few more coughs, it subsided.

"You alright mate?" He heard Soap ask from behind him.

Ghost lowered his hand, shivering as he spotted the dark splash of blood in his palm in the dim light. He quickly spat out the rest of the blood in his mouth and wiped his hand on his pant leg. When he straightened up, the two Captains were watching him expectantly.

"I'm fine." He lied.

Price looked back towards the road, but Soap didn't look convinced. Ghost ignored the questioning look and focused on the moon shining down overhead. He silently willed Archer to seed it up. Sighing, he leaned back into the tree he was seated against. He was growing inexplicably anxious, and he figured it was because he was so close to home. Part of him wanted to defy Soap, and take the chance to explore his hometown, perhaps even visit the place where he had once lived. More than anything, Ghost at least wanted to visit the graves of his family, but he knew his captain would disapprove. Risk of being discovered and killed was the main fear at the moment, especially since they were all exhausted and in bad condition. Ghost glanced at Soap once he felt the captain's probing eyes off of him. The man would hide it however he could, but Ghost knew he was in a lot of pain. He knew he himself wasn't doing so good either, and what they both needed the most right now was warmth, food, and a good deal of rest. Ghost shivered, remembering he had left behind his blood covered jacket. Good riddance too, he didn't want to look any more menacing than he already did. He didn't even know if Archer's uncle would truly welcome the battered and bloody soldiers into his home. If he didn't, they were lost, Ghost knew that and from the worried expression on his superior's face, Soap knew that as well. A crunch of twigs snapped Ghost's attention to the woods, hand on the hilt of his knife. He relaxed when he recognized Nikolai. The pilot nodded to him, then kneeled next to Soap and mumbled quietly to the two captains. Ghost felt like he should join them, that he should be part of whatever information was being shared, but he smirked when he realized he could care less. Nikolai had his own men that they needed to meet up with as soon as possible, but they too were recovering from the warfare, besides Russia was too much of a deathtrap for them. Things needed to settle enough for the 141 to rejoin the fight. Besides, right now they were too broken physically, mentally, and spiritually to be much of threat to anyone. Ghost felt a cramp in his back growing and he pushed himself to his feet, stretching cautiously as he used the tree for support. A flash of a vehicle's headlights sent him quickly back down however, and he winced at the pain the movement caused. The vehicle stopped dangerously near them. Ghost held his breath, searching for a sign from Soap, but the captain didn't move a muscle. Suddenly a figure stood in front of them.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

Ghost smiled at Archer's voice before rising back up to his feet. He followed the group to the van that awaited them on the side of the road. He gazed around quickly, making sure they weren't being watched or followed. Archer slid the door open and the team filed in. Ghost paused and looked at Archer.

"Your Uncle, we can trust him?"

"Without a doubt." Archer said.

Ghost sighed.

"I feel things are going to be a bit more complicated than we think." He said as he stepped inside, cringing as the door slid shut behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

**So I've noticed people responding to their reviews in their chapters and I think that's a pretty sweet idea so I'm gonna start doing it to!**

**Gatorgirl4521- ****Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! I took your advice so this chapter is for you! **

**Rhodenbarr-**** Thanks so much! I'm really glad you love my writing so much, hearing that makes it all the more worth my while. And I agree about MW3, it was really sad. At first I laughed hysterically about how much blood was coming out of Soap when he fell but I didn't expect him to die, so when he did I was utterly shocked to say the least. As for promising a happy ending, can't guarantee that, I have a few ideas that are predominantly bitter sweet but I'll see that I can do!**

**SuddenSummerStorm- ****Every time I see your name in my review alerts I get all excited. Once again I'm happy to hear from you and your words lift my spirits. This story is one of my releases from the stresses of college and to know you and others are enjoying it as much as I am really is inspiring. With a break coming up I'll actually have time to write more so I'm very excited about that! Thanks again, I always love hearing from you!**

Archer's Uncle, or Uncle Ben as he was called, owned a comfortable little home on the outskirts of the city. Ben pulled his minivan into his open garage door and it shut as the vehicle disappeared inside. Ghost pulled the door open and stepped out into the pitch black garage. It smelled musty, with a faint scent of gasoline. Suddenly a light flipped on, bright and blinding. Ghost shut his eyes momentarily as the brightness stunned him. When his eyes adjusted, Ghost looked up to see a man around his early forties standing before him. He was about a foot shorter than Ghost, but he was fit, his arm muscles visible underneath his long sleeve shirt. His hair was short and streaked with grey. He looked almost military-like but his face was gentle, and as he looked over the ragged bunch of soldiers before him he smiled.

"Well you lot look miserable. You can call me Ben, there's food in the cupboard and fridge, extra blankets and pillows in the hallway closet. I'm sure Aiden will help you find everything you need."

_Aiden?_

Ghost glanced at Archer who was standing a ways off, near his uncle. The name didn't really seem to fit him, maybe because of the horrors he had witnessed in such a short amount of time. Battle and death can harden even the most gentlest of people. Archer must have noticed Ghost watching him because he gave him a small smile before stepping forward.

"Uncle Ben, this is Captain Price, Captain Mactavish, Ghost, and Nikolai." He said as he pointed to each of them.

Ben raised an eyebrow, "Ghost eh? Strange name. Anyway I'm sure you gentlemen want some food and rest, as do I. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thank you." Soap said as he started following the older man into the house. Ghost sighed and then he too followed.

"Uncle Ben." Ghost heard Archer say, "Do you have a first aid kit anywhere? A couple of us are hurt."

Ghost watched as the older man looked his nephew up and down.

"Are you injured?"

Archer shook his head.

"No no, I'm fine. It's my Captain and Ghost. They both suffered some severe wounds and they need to be redressed. If you have any antibiotics, that would help, I don't think Ghost's wounds are healing properly."

Ghost grunted in frustration as he placed a hand on his bandaged chest. There were more important things to worry about; his body would heal in time. Archer led the team into the kitchen were a large pot of soup was waiting. Ghost drank in the smell of the food. He realized it had been days since he had had anything to eat, and for once, he didn't turn it away when Archer handed him a bowl. None of the Task Force members spoke as they ate, they were all hungry and focused on the meal in front of them. Ghost looked up once he had finished and jumped slightly when he noticed Ben staring at him from across the kitchen. His eyes were hard and distrusting, and when his eyes made contact with Ghost's, he turned away and disappeared down the hall. Ghost attempted to swallow down the lump in his throat. Slowly he rose and walked to where Archer was standing alone near a window, sipping on a mug of tea.

"He recognizes me." Ghost whispered.

"What?" Archer said, obviously startled by the Lieutenant's sudden appearance.

"Your Uncle….," Ghost said urgently, "he recognizes me. When I was set up for my family's murder my picture was everywhere until I was presumed dead. This is what I was worried about."

"Relax Ghost. I told him about all that. He believes me." Archer said as he sipped his tea again.

"If that's true then why was he staring at me like I was a rabid animal?" Ghost countered.

Archer reached for the pot of steaming tea and slowly poured another cup. He grasped it and slowly passed it to the lieutenant. Ghost took the cup, but instead of drinking he twisted the warm mug in his hands.

"He doesn't trust you. He doesn't trust you, or Mactavish, or Price or anyone. But he trusts me." Archer said, "My uncle raised me after my parents died. He's the one person I know we can count on right now. I told him the situation with Shepherd's betrayal. He didn't hesitate to offer help."

"What about _my_ situation? What about the fact that everyone in this country thinks I'm a psychopath that murdered my own family? All he saw were the lies broadcasted by the media. No one knows the truth, and the truth they do know about me was twisted into an exaggeration."

"_I_ know the truth." Archer said turning to him, "And so does Uncle Ben. I told him I trusted you with my life and that was more than good enough for him. If you don't believe me talk to him when you get the chance, he's a really nice man."

Ghost sighed, obviously too exhausted to continue the conversation. Instead he sipped his tea and looked outside at the guest house. He suddenly craved a long hot shower.

"I hope you're right," he said softly as he turned and walked away.

The guest house was small but comfortable. There was a small living room with a hide a bed sofa and an old oak coffee table. To the left of the living room was a small kitchen, dimly lit by a small light coming from the stove. Ghost sluggishly made his way up the stairs. There was a rather large bedroom up there with two beds. On one of the beds rested a pile of clothes put aside to replace their own. To the left was the bathroom, which Ghost did not hesitate entering. He flipped on the light, closed the door, and planted his hands on either side of the sink. Slowly, he looked up and gazed at the reflection staring back at him. The person staring at him looked almost foreign. Ghost reached up and placed a timid finger on his scar. The many memories that came rushing back were so overwhelming he had to turn away from the mirror gasping as the recollections brought physical pain to his body. He shook his head, trying to clear it, then tore off his vest and slid his t-shirt up and over his head. Ghost made his way over to the shower. He sat on the side of the tub as he turned the knobs and let the water run over his hand. The water was cold as ice. As he waited for it to warm up, Ghost turned his attention to the bandages wrapped around his chest and arm. The one on his arm came off without a fuss, exposing the scarred skin beneath it. Ghost gently ran his fingers across the ripples on his flesh. The burn had healed nicely, and even though his forearm wasn't very attractive in the light, the scars had the same tint as his skin so they weren't too obvious. The wounds on Ghost's chest however, were a different story. Ghost winced and groaned softly as he tugged on the bandages. The dried blood had practically glued the bandages to his wounds. He hasped as he pulled the last of the bandages away and threw them in the trash. The gash Kirill had inflicted on his chest looked as if had reopened during the running. The red sinewy muscle could be seen between the sliced flesh. The stab wound on his left shoulder was still stitched but the skin looked irritated and perhaps infected. It was the bullet hole from Shepherd's magnum that caused Ghost to grit his teeth. The skin was purple and swollen around the wound and beads of blood and what appeared to be pus were steadily leaking from the loosened stitches. It was definitely infected and Ghost remembered that his lung had collapsed after he was shot. As far as he knew it had been repaired by the Russians in the safehouse, but after his current chest pains and coughing fits he was starting to think he hadn't quite healed. Perhaps archer was right. Ghost placed his hand back under the water, and, once he was satisfied with the temperature, he finished undressing and stepped into the shower. He sighed as the warm water consumed his body, taking all of the sweat, dirt, and blood as it ran off him and into the waiting drain. He didn't know how long he stood there, just enjoying the feeling, before he vigorously scrubbed himself head to toe. When he finished, Ghost shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He opened the door of the bathroom and the steam from the shower shrouded him as he stepped into the cold room. It was very dark, and the floor creaked as Ghost made his way to the side of one of the beds and flipped on the lamp. He then rummaged through the pile of clothes and found some clothes that he assumed would fit him. Ghost went back to the bathroom, dressed the lower half of his body, rubbed on some deodorant, and then attempted to take another look at himself in the mirror. Without the dirt and grime on his face, he was very pale, and every scar he carried was highlighted against his skin. He realized he looked sickly and weak and it angered him. He ran a hand through his wet hair, grabbed a rag, and walked back into the bedroom to fetch the white t-shirt he chose, he froze momentarily when he spotted someone in the doorway, half shadowed by the darkness.

"Relax, it's just me."

Price's familiar voice caused Ghost to relax his body and he continued to the bed. The creaks from the floor told Ghost the Captain was approaching him, and that thought was confirmed when he felt the older man's eyes scoping his body like a predator would its prey.

"You've been through a lot for someone your age." Price said from behind.

Ghost wanted to slide on a shirt to hide his scarred torso, but the gunshot wound in his chest was still bleeding slightly so he pressed the rag against it, wincing as he did. He kept his back turned however as he heard Price continue to approach him.

"You act like I'm fresh out of grade school." Ghost said, staring down at the bed.

"Hell, compared to my age, that's just about what you are," Price said, his voice close, "don't take that as an insult, you're a damn good soldier for your age."

The compliment caught Ghost off guard and he found himself turning to face the captain.

"I'm twenty nine. Should I be at a lesser level than I'm at?"

Price smiled.

"Not the Lieutenant of a Task Force I would say, but you have the skills that got you where you're at. It'll be scary to see what you can do with another ten years of experience."

Ghost smirked.

"If I last that long. Thanks though."

Price nodded, but then gazed back at Ghost's exposed upper body, shocked by the discovery of more scars.

"You know, torture can change a man. I learned that myself in my time at the Gulag."

Ghost swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. He checked under the rag and sighed when he spotted more blood coming from the wound. Price held a large bandage in front of the lieutenant.

"Try this."

Ghost thanked him, positioned the bandage tightly on the wound, and stuck it in place so it wouldn't move. He quickly slid on the white t-shirt and pulled a black hoodie over on top of that for warmth.

"Being in that horrid place," Price continued, "shattered my trust for humanity. People are capable of some evil shit."

"No kidding," Ghost grunted as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Price continued to watch him.

"They did horrible things to you didn't they?"

Ghost swallowed again, unsure of what to say. So he nodded instead.

"I know I'm not Soap, but I do understand what it's like to endure days of nothing but pain and agony. I know it can rip apart who a man once was."

Ghost slowly blinked. Part of him wanted to confide in someone who had shared the same horrifying experiences obtained through torture, but he felt his subconscious slowly withdraw into him, as if it refused to so easily be understood by someone he barely knew.

"The one's responsible for these scars," he said slowly, "took everything from me. They did more than just rip apart who I was, they utterly broke me. They took away any meaning for me to live. Except one."

"Revenge." Price said understandingly.

Ghost looked up at him, lost for words. But the pain was clear in his eyes. Price saw it and somehow, he understood what Ghost had become. All the Lieutenant wanted was happiness, but that was impossible for someone who had suffered so much. His entire life would be doomed to having to kill and run to survive, and none of it was his fault. This curse of a life was brought down upon him from those consumed by greed and power, and Price found his heart going out to the younger man. He had heard about the murdering of Ghost's family, and how the country had been in an uproar because the killer had been believed to be none other than Simon Riley himself. The stories had flooded the media about the once respected soldier going mental and killing anyone in his path. Those lies had ruined Ghost, turning him into nothing more than what his named stated. It was lies that ruined everything, whether it be a reputation, a life, or a country. Lies had started the next world war, and only the truth could save them.

"You're strong…" Price said, "And the Task Force is lucky to have you."

Ghost looked back down, focusing his attention on his hands.

"Recently I've been doubting that." He admitted.

Price chuckled, and reached behind him. He pulled out a handgun, snapped in a clip and held it by the barrel in front of Ghost. The Lieutenant eyed it for a moment before finally grabbing the handle of the gun. He watched how the light from the bathroom played upon the weapon, before sitting it in his lap.

"Don't know about you, but I know I'd feel paranoid as hell without a gun on me." Price said.

Ghost smiled softly up at him.

"Thank you, sir."

Price gently clasped the younger man's shoulder.

"Stay strong and stay focused. We need you."

As the old Captain turned and left the room, Ghost rose from the bed and tucked the gun in the back of his pants, pulling the hoodie over it. He walked back into the bathroom to collect his dirty clothes and vest and once again paused in front of the mirror. His eyes still looked foreign, glassed over, hard, and angry, but inside he felt calm and relaxed. He closed his eyes trying to savor the feeling while it lasted and when he opened them again he spotted another fragment of an emotion in his eyes. It was barely visible but it was still there hidden under the anger and sorrow. It was hope.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Crafty Imp****: Thanks for being my fanfic buddy! Hope you like this one **

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**xGhostxStealth****: Don't feel horrible :P It's great hearing from you again (even though its taken me like 3 months to reply!) I haven't given much thought to Price either until recently…and you know why…anyway glad you liked it **

**Aristotle Plato****: There will be more, promise! I won't give up on this story and let it die. It may take me a while to update but know that I will!**

**Firewolfie****: I'm glad that you enjoy my writing so much. To be honest I never thought it was very good until I started posting stuff on here. Thanks for the review!**

**Gatorgirl4521****: "better late than never" is totally fine with me as long as you don't mind my late updates haha. Im glad you loved it so much 3**

After having his wounds properly redressed and having antibiotics forced down his throat, Ghost finally fell asleep in one of the beds upstairs. Soap vacated the other. The two of them were voted as being in the worst shape by Archer and Price so they were both thrown into bed and were told to sleep in. Ghost however knew that wouldn't happen, he knew it before he closed his eyes and when he opened them at 5 am. He exhaled slowly and pulled the blankets closer to his bare chest. The room was very dark, and he could make out the soft breathing of Soap sleeping in the bed beside his. He turned, trying to see if he could spot his CO's face but the older man was turned away from him, one arm curled around his head as he slept. Ghost sighed and pushed the blankets off of him, shivering slightly as the cold air brushed against his flesh. He slowly sat up, trying to restrain the mattress creaking. Once he had managed to get out of bed and throw on his shirt, hoodie, and shoes without waking his Captain, he tucked the pistol Price had given him into the back of his pants, made for the door and slid out of the bedroom. Now was the tricky part. Price. The old stairs made a ridiculous amount of noise as he came down, but Price, who was sleeping on the hide a bed sofa, didn't stir. For a moment, Ghost felt he should check on the old Captain, knowing that the noise he made should wake even an average sleeper. But he changed his mind as he saw Price shuffle slightly to get more comfortable before going still again. Ghost sighed and walked lightly to the door. At least Archer and Nikolai were asleep inside the house and he wouldn't have to worry about waking them too.

When he stepped outside, he pulled the hood over his head and gazed up at the sky. It was still dark out, but the sun would be rising soon. Keeping this in mind, Ghost walked to the high wooden fence surrounding Ben's backyard. He got a bit of a running start before jumping up and grabbing the top of the fence. He seemed to freeze in the air for a moment as he threw his weight and momentum forward and landed smoothly on the ground on the other side. Ghost straightened himself up and continued walking towards the road. He had a faint idea of where he was, now he just needed to figure out the best way of getting to where he wanted to go. After thinking for a moment, Ghost turned left and began walking down the sidewalk away from Ben's house. He kept his frosty blue eyes focused on the ground below him and tucked his hands into the pocket on the front of his hoodie. He could feel the handle of the pistol, concealed under his shirt and hoodie, rubbing against his back as he walked and it gave him a bit more confidence regardless of the danger he knew he was putting himself in. He knew what he was doing would probably enrage Soap and would cost him some sort of punishment when he returned, but it was something he _had_ to do. Ghost quickly crossed the road and walked on the other side so that the scar on his face wouldn't be visible to anyone who happened to drive or walk by. Lucky for him, the streets were deserted. He knew that would change though when he got deeper into the city though. And the more time he spent out in the open, the more of a chance he was taking with his life, so he had to be quick.

A car drove by, and Ghost sped up his pace. He had walked quite a ways and the first hints of the sun's rays were beginning to appear around the buildings. A homeless man staggered along the sidewalk in front of him. Without slowing his rate, Ghost twisted to the side and slid around the man, careful to keep his face hidden. The brisk walk continued that way until Ghost was sure he was almost at his destination. He gazed up at the sky and estimated it was close to 7am. Soap and the others would surely be up by now and no doubt wondering where he was. He paused at a street corner to get his bearings, wary of the increase in people walking the sidewalks now, no doubt on their way to work. It was then that he spotted what he was looking for. Ghost cast his eyes around, making sure he wasn't being watched or followed, and then once again began his brisk pace.

Ghost sighed as he finally reached the high steel fence surrounding the cemetery. He grasped one of the cold steel bars and hesitated at the entrance. This was where his family was buried. He remembered the location of their burial being stated in the newspaper, he just never visited because he knew that's where police would be looking for him to show up. Now that he was presumed dead, he figured it would be safe enough to finally visit their graves. Ghost took a tentative step inside the graveyard, wondering where he should start looking. Part of him didn't want to see the graves, as if in the recesses of his own twisted mind he could pretend they were still alive, but he shook his head at the idea. He knew they were gone, and nothing could ever bring them back, not even his own spurious fantasies. Ghost slowly took a few more steps inside. It was quiet within the confines of the cemetery, almost as if it was cut off from the rest of the city around it. Ghost exhaled as he realized he was holding his breath. He moved along the path, his eyes slowly scoping over the numerous graves around him. It would take him a while to find the graves he was looking for, and time was not of the essence. He broke from the path and walked towards a cluster of graves to his left. Ghost ducked under the branch of a large tree and gazed at the collection of unfamiliar names below him.

"Where are you…" Ghost said softly to himself as he continued to search the graves around him. Once it became apparent that his family wasn't in this section, he turned to head back to the path. He froze as he spotted someone walking amongst the graves on the other side of the path seemingly oblivious of him. Ghost pressed himself against the tree beside him and watched, noticing how familiar the man's movements were. The early morning sun was bringing a thick cloud of fog with it, making it more difficult to identify the person, but when the man suddenly stopped and looked in Ghost's direction there was no mistaking it. It was Roach, once again.

"Roach…"Ghost said, half to himself.

He stepped away from the tree and began walking in his subordinate's direction, keeping his eyes on the man in hopes he wouldn't vanish like before. Roach didn't move, he remained where he was and even smiled as Ghost drew up beside him. He then turned his attention to the gravestones in front of him and Ghost followed his gaze. There were two headstones, the first containing three names: Tom Riley, Beth Riley, and Joseph Riley. Ghost felt his heart lurch and he dropped to his knees as if the strength had been sucked from his body. The grave next to it bore the name of his mother. Ghost placed his hands on the ground, feeling the pain stab his heart like a knife. He didn't know if Roach was still standing over him, and at this moment he really didn't care.

"I'm so sorry…" He whispered, fighting tears, "this was all my fault…"

He raised his head and looked at the cold stone bearing his family's name and it stared back at him relentless and silent. Ghost reached out and slid his fingertips over the carved letters that spelled Tommy's name. His hand slid slowly across Beth and finally came to rest on Joseph. The five year old had barely been able to live, but in his short life he had brought out a tenderness in Ghost he himself had never known. Joseph was that one speck of clarity that brought pure joy to his heart as if the child were his own. And now it was gone. All of it was gone. Gone because he was alive.

"I should have never outlived any of you…"he said softly as he shook his head.

Ghost slowly straightened back up, but remained on his knees. He reached out and placed a hand on his mother's grave.

"I don't even deserve to be alive…" He told the stone, "I kill for a living…"

_You kill to save innocent lives._

Ghost blinked in surprise as he heard Roach. He looked up, but the soldier was not there.

_You're a protector mate, not a killer._

"But I couldn't protect them," Ghost said looking back at the headstones, "It should be me in the ground…not my family."

_You're still needed here._

"No one needs me."

_You're wrong. You have to let go of the past, there is another family here that still needs you. Without you, they won't survive._

Ghost blinked, feeling a stray tear run down his cheek.

"I don't know if I can just let it go." He said softly, "Even after I killed Roba, Sparks, and Washington, the pain never faded. That same aching rage was there day after day."

_Revenge won't calm your soul mate._

"Then what will?" Ghost asked, but Roach didn't respond.

The Lieutenant looked around him, but his friend was nowhere to be seen. He realized that the fog had cleared and the streets around him were becoming busier. He needed to get back and fast. Throwing one last painful glance at the graves, Ghost rose to his feet and made his way out of the cemetery. He pulled his hood down until it covered his eyes and kept his face focused on the ground as he walked.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I think we both know the answer to that." Ghost replied to Soap as he walked into the guest house. Nikolai, Price, Archer, and Soap were all seated around the downstairs area, obviously in the midst of a serious conversation when Ghost walked in.

"I'm not kidding Ghost, I told you to stay here." Soap said rising from his seat.

Ghost lowered his hood and ran a hand through his short hair. Without answering, he made his way to the small kitchen area and poured himself a glass of water. He had just begun drinking when he felt the vice like grip of Soap's hand on his arm. He hadn't even heard the Captain creep up on him and for a moment it startled him causing him to choke slightly on his drink. Soap pulled him towards the door but Ghost pulled back towards the sink for a moment to refill his cup before stumbling in his superior's direction. Soap pulled his Lieutenant outside and then shut the door behind them.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Soap asked furiously.

Ghost chugged the rest of his water, feeling a bit more refreshed after his long walk. He lowered the cup and gazed up at the clear sky; squinting his blue eyes in the sunlight.

"I know you wanted us to stay put, but there was something I had to do." Ghost said as he turned his attention back to Soap.

"And what was that?" Soap asked, still visibly angry.

"I visited the graves of my family." Ghost replied calmly.

Instantly Soap's furious gaze diminished. He looked away for a moment trying to find the right words.

"Look, I know it's hard for you to be here, but if we're going to survive and clear our names we can't risk being out in public."

"I know mate," Ghost replied, "This was just something I had to do."

Ghost coughed slightly into his hand. It hurt, but when he looked at his hand there was no blood. He cleared his throat and grasped Soap's shoulder.

"And you know what?" Ghost smirked, "I think everything is going to be ok."


	14. Chapter 14

**Junkieoctober**: Tears are what I aim for :P And I felt the same about envisioning Ghost in a hoodie. Kinda got the idea from the Mission Impossible movie. Tom Cruise looked like he was on a mission with that hood over his head in the movie poster haha!

**xGhostxStealth**: Yea you're right, I think it has been more than three months… :P nevertheless Im back on track! And I guarantee there will be some more killing machine Ghost ;)

**Migisi**: if you're still staring at the computer waiting for this update PLEASE eat, shower, and maybe take a nap before you read this :P hope you like it!

**SMakarov**: I love long reviews so don't be sorry I honestly feel like some of my vocab can get a bit repetitive, but if you don't think so then that's definitely a confidence booster! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope I can keep you hooked!

Ghost's sudden mood improvement had done nothing but confuse Soap. He couldn't imagine how visiting his dead family's graves could be something to be happy about. Nevertheless, he shrugged it off, hoping that the spark that had returned to Ghost's eyes would stick around a while before going out again.

Two weeks had passed and Ghost kept good on his word, he stayed within the confines of Ben's house, usually keeping to himself. When he was approached however, his good mood remained and Soap even caught his Lieutenant smiling and joking around with Archer and the others. The wounds of the remaining task force members had healed almost to completion, apart from a few occasional aches and pains. The short time they had spent in the safety of Manchester had been a relaxing one. They all were just about as rested and fit as they once were.

Soap opened the door to the bedroom upstairs and spotted Ghost, shirtless and doing fast paced sit ups in the floor. The muscles under his skin rippled as he pulled himself up again and he froze at the sight of Soap standing over him.

"Guess you're feeling much better." Soap said as he sat on the edge of his bed and started disassembling his sidearm.

Ghost watched his Captain for a moment as he tried to catch his breath. He then jumped up to his feet and flexed his shoulders. Sighing as he felt his muscles loosen rather than ache.

"Sure am," he said as he reached for a shirt, "what about you?"

Soap placed a hand where Shepherd's blade had pierced his chest not too long.

"I'm fine," He answered, eyeing the healing wounds on Ghost's chest, "everyone seems to be doing a lot better since we got here, especially you."

Ghost grunted in response as he slid into his t-shirt, covering the new additions to his battered body.

"Maybe it's the lack of violence."

"If you miss it that much, I can take you out back and shoot you if you'd like." Soap offered.

Ghost scoffed as he leaned against the wall and faced his Captain.

"Like you would ever raise a weapon against me." He teased.

"Don't test me." Soap warned, though he couldn't suppress the smile that played his lips. He didn't realize how much he had missed joking around with Ghost, and it felt good to have a relaxed conversation with his second in command.

Ghost yawned and gently massaged his temples.

"Have to say I kind of miss scaring the shit out of the new recruits. Was always fun when they couldn't tell if I was joking or not."

"Sometimes I couldn't either with that damn mask always glued to your face." Soap said.

Ghost snickered.

"Wish I still had it. You could read me easily enough before but now it's too bloody effortless for you."

"Not all the time. You can still be a mysterious prick when you wanna be." Soap said as he finished cleaning his gun and began assembling it.

Ghost chuckled at that then went to sit on the bed next to his Captain. He watched as Soap effortlessly snapped the pieces of his handgun back together, not giving one moment's hesitation. Even though it was something so simple they had all been trained to do, Soap's skills made Ghost proud to be his second in command. Ghost found himself randomly imagining have Soap as an enemy. He shuddered at the thought, then wondered what would become of the 141 if by some miracle they killed Makarov and made it out alive.

"If everything works out…what will happen to us?" Ghost asked suddenly, "Do you think the 141 will be rebuilt or will we be reassigned?"

Soap glanced up at him, and locked eyes with the Lieutenant. He could read every emotion and doubt in that icy blue stare and he realized he shared those same doubts and worries.

"I don't know mate," he replied softly, "I'll do everything in my power to keep what's left of the Task Force together though. After everything we've been through I can't imagine leading a different team."

Ghost nodded in agreement and sighed.

"Yeah…and can you imagine them putting me under someone else? I barely listen to you as it is!"

Soap smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, it would probably be better if they let me continue to babysit you. You're too much of a handful for anyone else."

Ghost smirked and rose from the bed.

"_I'm_ the handful? Remember when tha—"

"—Sir!" Archer piped up suddenly as he came through the door. His eyes looked hectic, causing the two commanding officers to perk up, "There's news downstairs! The U.S. is under attack!"

Soap quickly jumped up from the bed and headed downstairs with Ghost hard on his heels. Price was staring hard at a small television that showed shocking scenes of Russian forces moving in on New York. Smoke was streaming off the towering buildings as battleships sitting along the coast destroyed anything within their reach.

"Vacation time is over," Price said as he sensed the men gather around him, "We need to find Makarov, and fast."

Ghost felt his blood boil at all the unnecessary death and destruction he saw before him. All because of one man. The front door opened and Nikolai, accompanied by Ben, came inside to join them.

"I managed to get in touch with Kamarov. He has agreed to help us."

Ghost noticed Soap looked slightly frustrated at not being alerted of the situation right away, yet the emotion disappeared clean off his face as Price rose to his feet.

"It's time to go," Price said turning to them, "We will resupply with whatever Kamarov can afford to give us and then we move on to finding Rojas."

"Can't believe that bugger is still alive," Soap said softly.

"Let's have at it then." Ghost said.

Ben had dropped them off on a dirt road hidden from the main highway. It was about a mile hike to Nikolai's concealed chopper on the hill. Price, Soap, and Nikolai said their goodbyes to Ben and started off into the woods. Ghost hauled a bag, containing some food and ammo, out of the van and threw it over his shoulder. In the corner of his eye he spotted Archer embracing his uncle.

"Please take care of yourself…" Ben said in almost a whisper.

"Don't worry about me," Archer said softly, "I'll be back before you know it."

As the young sniper pulled away, Ghost stepped up and extended his hand.

"Thank you for all help."

Ben grasped the Lieutenant's hand and smiled.

"It was my pleasure."

Archer waved goodbye once again and turned away. Ghost adjusted the strap on his shoulder and had just turned to follow when Ben's voice sounded again behind him.

"And Simon…"

Ghost froze, more out of shock from hearing his first name being used than anything. Confused, he turned to face Ben again.

"A man can live about forty days without food, three days without water, eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope…remember that."

Ghost blinked slowly. He opened his mouth to say something but could find no words. Without waiting for a response, Ben turned, climbed back into his van, and drove away. Ghost watched him go for a moment, the words echoing in his head, before he too turned away and followed his team up the hill. They walked in silence, each man with his own thoughts about heading back into the firefight. Would they be able to find Makarov? Could they end the war? And more importantly, would they make it out alive? Ghost paused for a moment and looked back the way they came. This could be the last time he ever stepped foot into his hometown again. Feeling slightly deterred by this possibility, Ghost looked away and forced himself to keep walking.

It didn't take long to find the concealed helicopter. Soap and Price quickly pulled off the camo cover and within seconds the rotors started up. The men piled in, this time Ghost taking his usual spot next to Soap, as he had done during countless missions in the past. Neither of them seemed to notice, maybe because it was almost like second nature for them both to confide in one another's presence when they knew they were heading into serious shit. As the chopper lifted into the air it was Price who was first to speak.

"Time to head back to hell," he stated bluntly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Aristotle Plato**: Hope you still haven't given up! I WILL finish this although it takes me forever to update during school….but good news! Semester is over! So you know what that means… ^^

**Hyarou**: To answer your question (if you remember it) I found the quote while surfing online. I tweaked it a little but when I read it I HAD to use it. Kudos to whoever wrote it, author was unknown.

**Gatorgirl4521**: No worries on not reviewing the last chapter…it took me forever to update so we can call it even XD

**FirstNobody**: LOL I love you too! Glad you like my work ^^

**LittleShinikami:** Isn't Archer great? I felt like he didn't get enough attention in the game so I had to mold him in my own way :P Thanks for the R&R !

**Doc Bot**: Thanks a bunch, and I will gladly open it to non-users (didn't know it was closed to them). I will be updating the other story shortly so hope to hear from you there as well!

Ghost twisted his gloved hands around the barrel of his new ACR. The time the team had spent in Russia had been brief. They had met up with Kamarov and replenished their supplies. Dressed in full tac gear and armed with assault rifles, they looked once again like the feared and respected Task Force 141. Now they were headed for Brazil, and hopefully, a link to Makarov. Ghost gazed down at the vest, loaded with grenades and full clips, strapped tight around his chest. When they landed they had to be quick and silent. Intel from Kamarov had indeed confirmed Rojas was still alive, and furthermore still providing to Makarov. Ghost gritted his teeth. Because of the lack of time, Soap had demanded that himself and Price joined Ghost in the hunt for information. This would make the process quicker, but also more dangerous. Archer would provide over-watch as the three commanding officers snuck in to Rojas' headquarters. They would not leave until they found information that would lead them to Makarov and until Rojas face down in a pool of his own blood. Nikolai would then circle around and pick them up at the designated LZ. Ghost swallowed down the lump in his throat. They couldn't afford to come out of this empty handed. If they did they were lost.

Ghost gazed at Soap, seated by his side, as the older man rolled his shoulders in an attempt to relax himself.

"Do you remember," Ghost said suddenly, "when me and you were on that mission in Russia? In that deadbeat small town?"

Soap had cocked his head in Ghost's direction, but said nothing.

"We were stuck in the woods for almost six hours," Ghost said, his mind traveling back, "We were ordered to remain in that one damn spot and keep watch over a facility. I was having a hard time keeping still…"

Soap smiled softly as the event came back to him.

_Soap kept his eyes focused on the facility in front of them. So far no movement. He felt his Lieutenant, Ghost, brush his arm as he shuffled slightly in an effort to get comfortable. They were hidden in a small clump of brush near the edge of the woods. They had been in this one spot for almost three hours and the sun was beginning to set. Ghost shuffled again, and sighed in frustration. Soap was beginning to think it wasn't even worth being out here. Ghost moved again, this time jabbing the Captain in the ribs with his elbow._

"_Christ…will you stop moving around?" Soap said as he momentarily turned his gaze to his second in command. _

"_Bloody leg is going to sleep," Ghost grunted irritably. _

_Soap had just turned back the building in front of them when Ghost suddenly jumped, colliding into him, and knocking him off balance. _

"_What the hell is your problem?" Soap said as he got back up and, suddenly remembering where he was, ducked back down into the bush._

_Ghost was standing, taking cover behind a tree. He ripped off his mask and shades and pointed at the spot he had just been in, his icy blue eyes wide._

"_There was a fuckin spider there about the size of my hand!" _

_Soap stared at him for a moment. Then shook his head._

"_Just get back over here before we're caught."_

_Ghost hesitated, scanning the area where he had just been. After a few deep breaths, he obeyed and crouched back down in his usual spot. Soap shook his head and laughed under his breath. Fearless Ghost was afraid of spiders? He looked down and noticed another one, or perhaps the same one, crawl out of the bush and head in Ghost's direction. Soap smirked slightly as he let the creepy crawly pass by him. He watched as it crawled its way slowly up the Lieutenant's pant leg. The fact that Ghost was completely oblivious only added to the humor._

"_Ghost," Soap said in a voice on the edge of laughter, "Your friends back."_

_The younger man shot him a confused look, before following Soap's gaze to his leg. The sight of the arachnid sent him flying backwards, yelling out curses, and furiously brushing his pant leg. Soap had to bite into his sleeve to hold in his laughter._

"_Screw this shite! I'm done!" Ghost yelled as he regained his composure._

"_Ghost," Soap said, his voice cracking from holding in laughter, "be quiet and get back over here."_

"_No!" Ghost said defiantly, "There's no way in 'ell I'm coming back over there! You want to sit in a nest full of those bloody things that's fine by me, but I'm done!"_

_Soap couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into laughter, trying his hardest to muffle it by laughing into his arm. _

Soap chuckled at the memory and Ghost gazed at him smirking.

"Thought that would cheer you up," he said.

The Captain shook his head and smiled.

"I never understood how you could dive head first into a firefight without a moment's hesitation, but you can't handle being within two feet of a spider," he chuckled.

"Mate, I can't handle being within _ten_ feet of a spider," Ghost said as he shuddered a bit causing the Captain to chuckle more.

Ghost glanced at Archer and Price sitting across from them. Both had smiles on their faces as they listened.

"Don't let Soap try to fool ya mate," Price said, "He's terrified of snakes."

Soap shook his head as he leaned back.

"If you're referring to the night we were wading through that blasted river, I was not terrified, I was startled."

"You almost ruined the whole op." Price said as he raised an eyebrow.

Ghost crossed his arms and glanced at the two Captains.

"Snakes eh? I have to hear about this one."

"Shut it Ghost, we need to stay focused," Soap said in his in his commanding voice. Price however paid no heed to him.

"Very simple stealth op," he began and Soap sighed and rested his head in his hands, "we are wading through a rather wide river. It was fairly shallow and there was a slow current. Well it was getting dark and we manage to creep up our way upriver to an enemy based camped offshore. They have no idea we were there until this one," he says as he pointed an accusing finger at Soap, "starts splashing around in the water like a mermaid princess."

Ghost and Archer laughed as Price continued.

"A snake, and not even a big one at that was skimming the surface of the water. It wasn't heading towards us and from what I could tell it wasn't even venomous, but Soap just couldn't handle it," Price said, "He freaked out for a moment and alerted two guards who I had to kill and drag into the brush so we wouldn't be detected."

Soap lifted his head and raised his arms.

"I couldn't tell where the bloody thing was headed, it just appeared and all I knew was I did not want to get bitten," he said defensively.

"Yea, getting shot sounds much more fun," Ghost laughed.

Soap shot the Lieutenant a warning glare, but couldn't suppress the smile that played his lips.

"I swear, sometimes I just want to beat the sarcasm out of you." He said.

"I don't think you would want to take me," Ghost said as he winked at the Captain, "I'd hate to mess up that pretty face of yours."

Price and Archer burst into laughter as Soap landed a playful punch to his Lieutenant's shoulder. Ghost chuckled as was preparing another smartass remark when Nikolai's voice suddenly caught their attention.

"ETA, seven minutes my friends." His thick Russian accent announced over the comms.

Instantly, the team's demeanor changed. Ghost's face fell into a frown as his thoughts returned to their cloudy anticipated state. He clutched his ACR as he regained his focus in a matter of seconds. He could feel the air around him become tense, losing the relaxed and joking atmosphere is had earlier contained. He silently wondered if he would ever get to joke around with them like that again, or if this op would be their last.


End file.
